Chances
by OliviaPaige
Summary: Three years after Elliot leaves SVU, Olivia finds him unexpectedly. All of her old feelings of hurt and abandonment resurface. Will she stay with Brian? Will she choose Elliot? Slowly they begin to rekindle some type of relationship with each other, as neither one wants to lose the other again. But where will this new found relationship take them? Rated M for sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

"Benson. Amaro," Cragen yelled from the doorway of his office into the squadroom.

Olivia and Nick rose from their desks and filed into Cragen's office.

"What's going on, Cap?" Olivia asked and she shut the door behind her.

"Fin and Rollins have a few leads on the Paige Bishop case. I need you two to head over to the 107 in Queens," Cragen said flipping through some papers in a manilla folder. "Detective Williams is expecting you."

"Thanks, Cap," Nick said as he and Olivia emptied Cragen's office walking to their desks to collect their belongings before heading out of the squadroom.

"You're driving," Olivia said as she tossed Nick the keys. "Good catch."

The drive to the 107th precinct in Queens was uneventful. Olivia and Nick participated in common small talk about his children and her and Brian's new apartment together.

"I'm glad you're happy, Liv. You deserve it," Nick stated as he turned the engine of the sedan off in front of the Queens precinct.

"Thanks, Amaro," Olivia said with a smile as she climbed out of the car.

Once they arrived inside the station, Nick led the duo to the front desk.

"Detectives Amaro and Benson to see Detective Williams," he said quickly as his phone rang from his pocket. "Amaro," he said as he answered. "Okay, have you tried to contact his mother?" he asked into the phone. "Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you," Nick concluded his conversation just as a short, blonde headed woman who couldn't be over thirty walked up to them.

"Detectives Amaro and Benson I presume?" she said with a beautiful smiles. "I'm Detective Andrea Williams. Thanks for coming over on such short notice," she said as she signalled for the detectives to follow her towards an elevator down a long, narrow hall.

"I'm Olivia Benson, and this is Nick Amaro. Our Captain said you had some information for us on a current case we're working," Olivia said as Det. Williams held the elevator door open for Nick and her to walk through.

"Yes, we do. We believe the Paige Bishop case could be related to a cold case of ours from the eighties," Det. Williams stated as she pushed the button signaling for the elevator to take them to the third floor of the station house. "The MO's are significantly similar and up until now, the perp hasn't given us any reason to believe he was still out there."

"What makes you think this is the same guy?" Nick asked as they stepped off the elevator onto the third story of the building.

"Everything is eerily similar. From the way she was abducted, the way she looks, her occupation, the markings on her body when she was found. It's like rereading the old files all over again," Det. Williams said as they walked over to her desk in the main squadroom. She fumbled through some papers on her desk, unsatisfied with what she found. "Please excuse me. I seem to have left the paperwork in my Captain's office," she said as she walked into a dark office on the other side of the squadroom.

"Nick, is everything okay?" Olivia stated referring to the phone call he has received in the lobby.

"Gilberto was in another fight at school and they can't get ahold of his mom. The principal wants to speak with me," he said with slight aggravation.

"I can handle this if you need to go. I can take the train back to Manhatten," she said calmly.

"Nah. I'm not in any hurry to get to the principal's office," he said with a slight smirk on his face just as Det. Williams walked back up.

She handed each of the detectives a folder filled with reports and photographs. Olivia and Nick flipped through the information. "Seventeen victims within five years. The rapes began in 1987 which escalated to rape homicides by 1989. He continued until 1993 when he basically fell off the grid. Up until the Bishop case, we haven't seen anything similar to his MO," Det. Williams began filling in Olivia and Nick.

"These pictures look just like Paige Bishop's," Olivia said studying the pictures of one of the victims. "Do you have any other information for us? Any leads or suspects?"

"A handful of suspects were questioned and eventually cleared. When the killings stopped in 1993, the detectives weren't any closer to catching the guy than they were when they began in 87," Det. Williams admitted. "I've got a few more things coming from cold case for you to take with you. I have to be in court in ten, so I'm going to have my partner, Detective Taylor, take you down to get the rest of the information," she stated as she picked up her belongings and motioned for Detective Taylor to come over. Detective Taylor was a tall, muscular man with dark olive skin who was in his early thirties.

"Hi, I'm Isaiah Taylor," he said as he reached to shake Olivia and Nick's hands.

"Taylor, this is Olivia Benson and Nick Amaro. Care to take them down to Cold Case for me? I've got the Thorton case in court," she said as she put her coat on.

"Not a problem," he responded smiling as they all started walking towards the elevators together.

Once they arrived in Cold Case, Det. Taylor walked Olivia and Nick over to an office. He knocked twice on the door closing the office from the hallway.

"Come in," they heard a voice from the other side yell. The voice immediately caught Olivia's attention. This voice was familiar. This voice made her stomach knot up instantly. "Why was this voice so familiar?" she thought to herself in the few seconds it took for them to step from the hallway into the office no longer shielded by the door.

"Detective Amaro and Detective Benson, this is Detective Stabler. He's head of the Cold Case Unit here," Det. Taylor said invitingly. "I'm going to leave you in his care. He will get you everything you need."

As Taylor walked out, he shut the door behind him.

"Liv," Elliot said surprised to see her standing in his office. His thoughts raced back to all the times he had dreamt of seeing her again, and now here she was. Standing in his office, less than ten feet away from him.

"El," Olivia choked out trying to disguise the hurt in her voice.

"El? As in Elliot Stabler?" Nick cut in breaking the tension between Olivia and Elliot. "It's nice to finally put a face with the name," he said reaching out to shake Elliot's hand. "I'm Nick Amaro, Liv's new partner," he concluded with a genuine smile.

"Nice to meet you," Elliot said as he shook Nick's hand before returning his gaze to Olivia. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered.

"Uh.. Detective Williams sent us down here to pick up some files from a case she believes is related to a rape homicide we have in Manhatten," Olivia said trying to take her focus off of Elliot's stare. She missed him. She thought she had put away all those feelings of abandonement she had harbored within since Elliot left her. But seeing him so unexpectedly was almost too much for her.

"Yeah. They are almost ready for you," he said pulling his eyes off of her to focus on the paperwork scattered all over his desk just as Nick's phone rang.

"Amaro," Nick said into the receiver. "I'll be right there," he said as he hung up and replaced the phone into his pocket. "Liv, I've gotta go. It's Gilberto again," he said placing his hand on Olivia's bicep. "I can leave the car for you," he started as Elliot caught his interaction with Olivia and cut him off.

"I can take her back to Manhatten. It's no problem," he said casually, not taking his eyes off the papers he was looking through on his desk.

"Thanks man," Nick said as he left the office in a hurry leaving Olivia and Elliot alone.

As Nick shut the door to his office as he left, Elliot looked up from the papers that had occupied him before. His eyes were the same mysterious blue she remembered and had seen so many times in her dreams since he left her. She tried to pull her stare away from his, but she couldn't conjure the strength.

"Liv, I'm sorry," he started knowing he owed her much more than a simple apology.

Olivia raised her hand up as she shifted her stare to the floor. "El, don't. Just get me the papers I need and I'll be on my way back to the precinct," she said quietly as her voice began to crack. She wasn't prepared for this conversation just yet. Sure, it had been over three years since he left her alone in SVU, but it was still too soon for her.

"Liv... Please," he said as he moved from behind his desk and began to walk towards her. She felt her guard fading away with every step he took closer to her. He sat down in the chair that had emptied when Nick left and grabbed her hand. "Liv," he said waiting for some sort of response.

"I can't do this, Elliot. Not now," she started as she pulled her hand from his grasp and stood. She paced slowly with her hands pushing her hair from her face as she tried to find the words to say what she really wanted to say to him. She wanted to scream at him for leaving her alone. She wanted to hug him because he was okay. She wanted to slap him for never returning a call or text. She was overwhelmed with emotions as she felt the sting of tears coming into her eyes. "You left me," she managed to softly say as the first tear rolled down her cheek.

"Please don't cry," he said as he walked over to her. He stopped in front of her, brought his hand to her cheek and wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Please Liv."

"Don't cry? Elliot, don't pretend to care now," she said finding her inner strength as she remembered everything she had been through since Elliot left her; never to be heard from again. "Don't cry? You don't know the things I have cried over in the last three years."

"I know I wasn't there for you," he said ashamed. "I didn't know what to do Liv. You don't understand," he said as he walked to the other end of the room while rubbing his forehead with the same hand he had used to wipe her tear away.

"You're right, Elliot. I don't understand. I don't understand how you could leave someone after twelve years together without even saying goodbye. Without returning a phone call. For all I knew, you were dead out there," she said as tears fell from her brown eyes. "I don't understand, El. And I don't want to," she finished just as a knock came from behind the closed office door.

"Come in," Elliot said just loud enough to be audible from the other side of the door.

"Sir, I have the files you requested," a young man said sensing the tension in the room. He handed the folders to Elliot before returning to the hallway.

"Are those for me?" Olivia said in her no-nonsense tone.

"Yes," he said handing them to her. She took the files from him and headed towards the door. As her hand grasped the doorknob, Elliot attempted one last time to communicate with her. "I really am sorry, Olivia."

She stopped momentarily, thinking of the possible responses she could say to him. But nothing seemed appropriate. She just wanted to get away from him and forget this encounter ever happened. She turned the doorknob and exited his office without another word.

Back at the precinct, word about Elliot had travelled to the rest of the team.

"Hey Liv. Heard Stabler is holding down Cold Case now," Fin said leaning back in his chair as Olivia finally made her way back to the SVU squadroom.

"Yeah," she said unentertained with the proposed conversation as she walked to her desk and sat down the folders Elliot had given her. Fin could tell it was a topic she didn't want to discuss.

"So, do we have any new leads on the Bishop case?" Fin said changing the subject for Olivia's benefit.

"We have seventeen other victims now, with no leads on the perp," Olivia said walking over to the corkboard to pin up the photos Detective Williams had provided her. "The MO's are identical," she concluded as her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and stared at the Caller ID. _Elliot._ She hadn't seen that name on her phone in over three years. She silenced it and stuffed the phone back into her back pocket. She walked over to the coffee pot located on the side wall of the precinct and began to fill up a cup as Rollins answered the phone ringing in the background.

"Rollins," she stated. "Sure, hang on just a second," she said as she covered the receiver with her hand. "Hey, Benson. Call on one," Rollins said as she placed the call on hold and hung up her receiver as Olivia walked to her desk.

"Benson," said as she picked up the phone on her desk.

"I need to talk to you, Liv. Please give me a chance," she heard from the all familiar voice on the other end of the line. "Please," Elliot pleaded. She really did want to hear what he had to say to her but she was afraid to let him back into her life. She couldn't handle anymore pain in her hectic world right then.

"Fine," she said with a very weak voice. "I'm almost done with my shift. Where are you?"

"Outside the precinct. I'll wait for you," he said to her as he hung up. He clearly was determined to speak to her. He needed to tell her why he left the way he did and why he hadn't contacted her in all this time.

As Olivia walked out of the station house, she noticed Elliot's car sitting by the curb a few parking spaces down. As she walked towards the car, she began to feel all sorts of emotions again. What was he going to say to her? What would her reaction be to him? She couldn't remember a time when she was this nervous about talking to Elliot.

As she approached the car, Elliot felt a smile come across his face. He missed seeing her walk towards him on this Manhatten street. He missed their countless hours of riding around together, their late night coffee breaks, their endless conversations. He missed his partner more than he ever realized.

"Hey Liv," he said as Olivia got into his car. "Thanks for agreeing to this."

"Elliot, I need you to know that I'm doing this for me. Not you," she said bringing her deep brown eyes to meet his bright blue eyes. She noticed how his eyes almost glowed in the evening sun. She really had missed this man. "So, where do you want to go?"

"How about the usual diner down the street? For old times' sake," he said smiling at her and reaching over to pat her hand that was resting on the console.

"Sure," she replied feeling her defenses weakening already. She felt a smile begin to form in the corner of her mouth and looked away quickly before he noticed.

Once they were seated in the diner, Olivia didn't waste any time with small talk.

"Okay, Elliot. I agreed to this. I want to know why," she paused remembering the pain of the day Cragen told her Elliot wasn't coming back. "I want to know what I did," she said revealing her self persecution for his departure.

"What you did?" Elliot responded with confusion. "Olivia, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why did you leave me?" she said peering up from stirring her coffee.

"Listen Liv. I had a lot of things going on in my life at that time. When I shot that girl, it sent me over the edge. I wasn't any good for anybody," he started feeling ashamed remembering the man he had turned into. "I was numb."

"I would have helped you through it, El. You know that," Olivia said hurt that Elliot didn't come to her for help when he needed it.

"I couldn't do that to you, Liv. I couldn't depend on you like that. It was hard enough," he said stopping abruptly as he realized where his comment was going.

"What was hard enough?" Olivia said with apparent confusion. She reached across the table to touch Elliot's hand, seeing the pain in his facial expressions.

"It was hard enough trying to keep my marriage together when all I wanted to do was be with you," he said in a very quiet voice as he looked down at her hands holding his.

Olivia didn't know what to do or what to say. Had she heard him correctly? She always knew there was a special spark between the two of them. But she was certain her feelings for him were much more than any feelings he had ever felt for her. He loved Kathy. Not her.

"Elliot," she started but didn't know where to take her sentence. She jumped as her phone rang as it sat on the table beside her coffee cup. "Benson," she answered without looking at the Caller ID.

"Hey Bri," she said to her boyfriend on the other end of the phone. "I'm not sure when I'll be home. I'm working late on this Bishop case. Go ahead and order take out," she said noticing Elliot's expression as she lied to Brian. "Alright. See you later," she said before she hung up.

"Bri?" Elliot asked expressing a hint of jealousy.

"Brian Cassidy," she said before taking a sip of her coffee. "You remember him, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. You two had a fling back in the day," he said remembering Olivia and Brian's quick relationship years ago.

"Brian and I are living together now," she blurted out not wanting to hide any information from Elliot. If she expected him to be completely honest with her, she had to do the same.

"Are you happy?" Elliot questioned not sure what answer he wanted to hear.

"Yes, Elliot. He's a great guy," she said as Elliot's disappointment showed on his face. "So, how are you and Kathy?" Olivia asked changing the subject from her relationship to his.

"Kathy filed for divorce six months after I left SVU. I'm telling you, Liv. I was in a dark place. I was a horrible husband and father. I drank a lot. Never went home. I don't blame her for wanting to rid her life of me. I deserved it for what I did to her," he hesitated, "and you."

"Oh, Elliot," Olivia said trying to console the heartbroken Elliot that sat across the booth from her in that old diner.

"I ruined every good thing in my life. My family, my job, my partner. Everything was gone and I didn't care. It was easier to drink the pain away than face my responsibilities. But, I finally realized what I was missing with my kids and I put the bottle down. My relationship with Kathy wasn't salvageable but I'm back in my kids' lives. That's what matters most," he said searching for the words to say what he had wanted to say to Olivia for three years now. "But I miss you Liv."

"Why didn't you call Elliot? Why? I needed you. I needed my partner, my best friend," she said with great force, letting out three years of frustration. "Where were you when I needed you? I didn't get to hide from my life behind a bottle, Elliot. I had to live every single second of it. Every single painful second," she said thinking to her recent encounter with William Lewis and being held hostage. Tears formed in her eyes. She wondered if Elliot even knew she had been abducted. "Of course he did," she thought to herself. "You never even called, El," she said with pain in her voice. This realization hurt more than missing him ever did.

"I didn't know what to say, Liv. I had talked to Munch and he kept me filled in. I knew I hurt you when I left. I couldn't bring anymore pain into your life," he admitted shamefully, realizing he should have been there for her.

"I just thought I meant more to you than I did," she said as she reached for her belongings. "I've gotta go."

"Liv, please. I don't want you to go," Elliot confessed as she stood up and threw a couple dollars down on the table.

"I didn't want you to go either," she said as she walked out of the diner and towards the precinct which was only a couple blocks away.

Once she arrived back at the precinct, she went upstairs and sat in her chair. She placed her elbows on her desk and cradled her face in her hands. She had hidden these emotions so well for so long, and now they all resurfaced. As she sat in the dark, she wished her life could go back to the way it was just 12 hours prior. She was happy. Now she didn't know how to feel.

"How did I know this is where you'd go?" she heard that familiar voice behind her along with footsteps that stopped directly behind her.

"What are you doing here?" she said without turning to see Elliot standing there.

"I couldn't go home. I needed to see you again," he said quietly, still behind her.

"Why?" she said as she stood up to face him. "Why do you need to see me now, Elliot? You didn't need to see or even speak to me for three years," she said as she felt the stinging sensation of tears building up again and the wall she had built began to crumble.

"I need you, Liv," he said as he pulled her close to embrace her and comfort her. She fell into his body as he wrapped his arms around her. This feeling of content was what she had been searching for since his departure. Elliot's embrace was different than Brian's. She hated to admit it, but she never wanted Elliot to stop.

"I need you, too, El," she said wrapping her arms around his torso. She felt home when she was in his arms. She felt safe. She managed to pull her head up from his chest to look into his majestic eyes. She could get lost staring into those eyes. Elliot looked into her eyes, then down at her lips. He leaned down to join his lips with hers. She allowed his advances. She felt his tongue attempting to enter her mouth and she opened her lips to invite him in. She had dreamed of this moment for years. They had never allowed their relationship to extend this far before as partners. His marriage to Kathy always prevented her from allowing these feelings for him to surface. An image of Brian flashed into her memory and she pulled from his kiss abruptly.

"What's the matter?" Elliot asked afraid he did something wrong.

"I can't do this, El. What about Brian?" she asked with great confusion. "I can't do this to him."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not own any characters... Just my story!**

It had been one week exactly since she left Elliot standing in the squadroom. It had been one week exactly of nonstop thoughts and dreams of Elliot, too. No matter what she did, Olivia couldn't get him off her mind. She always thought that she would be relieved if Elliot made another appearance in her life, but that was before Brian.

Brian Cassidy had helped her in ways she hadn't even realized before Elliot's reappearance. He was the most committed relationship she had ever had up to this point in her life. He helped her move past her loneliness. He made her feel wanted again. She loved having someone to come home to after a long day at SVU. For everything he had done for her, Olivia couldn't hurt him. She cared for Brian, but was beginning to wonder if her feelings for him would ever measure up to the way she had felt for Elliot.

"You know you love him," Olivia thought to herself under the hot water falling down onto her body during her morning shower. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

"Liv! I'm going to head out. I'll call you after my shift," Brian said as he stuck his head into the bathroom where she was finishing rinsing off her body wash.

"Alright, Bri. Have a great day," she shouted back to him as to be heard over the running water.

"You too," she heard faintly as he shut the door.

"You love him," she reassured herself as she stepped out into the stuffy air of the bathroom from the shower.

As she walked into the squadroom, she noticed a huge bouquet of red lilies setting atop her desk. Surely they weren't meant for her. Brian was hardly a romantic and definitely saw floral arrangements as wasteful.

"What are these doing here?" she questioned as she walked up to her desk.

"They were here this morning when I got here," Rollins said.

"Cassidy did something wrong," Fin added sarcastically.

"Hmm.." she mumbled as she searched for a card. Nothing. "What in the world..." she continued under her breath assuming Brian had wanted to surprise her. She sat the flowers to the corner of her desk as she began to go through her stack of folders pertaining to the Paige Bishop case. Just as she began to get settled in, her cell buzzed from her pocket.

_"Lilies are still your favorite, right? -El"_

"You have got to be kidding me?" she said louder than she realized.

"What's wrong, Liv?" Nick questioned noticing the look of confusion on her face staring down at her phone in her right hand.

"Oh, nothing. Just Bri," she lied. She couldn't let anyone know Elliot sent these to her. She definitely couldn't let Brian find out. She picked up the bouquet and placed it on an empty table on the side of the squadroom. "I can't concentrate with these distracting me," she added smiling.

As she sat back down at her desk, she picked up her phone to reply to Elliot.

_"Are you crazy? -Liv"_ she typed and sent to his number. Instantly, she received a message back.

_"For you! -El" _

She let out a small giggle. She could sense his humor even through a two worded sentence in a text message. Before she could think of anything to reply with, her phone buzzed again.

_"Meet me for lunch? Please. -El"_

Olivia hesitated before texting Elliot back. If she was completely honest with herself, she knew she wanted to go with him. The past week since seeing him had been so confusing for her. She at least needed to straighten the facts out and see if there was a friendship that still existed between the two of them. She hated to let this man, who at one time had meant the entire world to her, slip through her fingers again.

_"Sure. Why not... -Liv"_ she typed out. She thought about her response momentarily before hitting send.

The hours leading up to lunch seemed to crawl by at a much slower than normal pace. Maybe it was due to the overwhelming amount of reports she had to catch up on. Maybe it was due to her hidden excitement over getting to see Elliot again. Whichever was the culprit, Olivia knew she was ready for her lunch date.

As the minutes passed by and the time for her to meet Elliot grew nearer, her phone buzzed from her desk once again. She picked it up and smiled as she saw his name on her screen one more time.

_"I'm outside. -El"_

She didn't wait another second to take her long awaited lunch break. "Hey, Fin. I'm going to lunch," Olivia shouted over to where Fin was sitting as she put her jacket on.

"Alright, Liv. See ya later," Fin responded as she walked towards the elevators.

As she walked out of the station house, she immediately saw Elliot's car sitting by the curb. She smiled as she walked up to the passenger side door and opened it up.

"You know you're buying, right?" she said as she sat down in the front seat of the sedan next to Elliot.

"I figured," he said with a smile as he pulled out of the parking space and into the flow of traffic.

"So, how are things going over in Queens?" Olivia asked him.

"Same as always, I suppose. Cold Case isn't near as exciting at SVU," he said glancing over quickly to see Olivia looking at him. He missed seeing her ride in that front seat.

"I'm sure it has its rewards," she continued while looking out the window. "Where are we eating anyway?"

"It's a surprise," he said changing lanes.

They continued in small talk until he pulled up in front of what looked like a residential building and parked.

"Where are we?" Olivia said not recognizing her surroundings.

"Just get out and come with me," he said with a smirk on his face. She could tell Elliot had something up his sleeve.

"Elliot," she said questioning his motives as she stood up from her seat in the car.

As he walked around the car towards the front door of the building, he grabbed her hand and led her in. She followed him down a narrow hall and they stopped in front of a door with a golden 5 and A hanging on it. She realized this was an apartment. His apartment. He unlocked the door and pushed the door open.

Elliot stepped inside and walked in the darkness towards a table. He struck a match and lit two candles. He realized she was still standing in the hallway. He walked over to her and grabbed her hands.

"It's okay," he said leading her in.

She didn't know how to respond. This was suppose to be a casual lunch between two ex partners. It was now a candlelit lunch with the man who had held her heart for many, many years. Her mood transitioned quickly. Her feelings began to feel overpowering, much like they had that night in the squadroom.

"Elliot..." she began to question him. "What is all this?"

"I wanted to do something special for you. To try to show you how sorry I am," he said still holding her hands from when he led her into the apartment from the hallway.

"El," she muttered still unsure of what she needed to say.

"Liv, please. Please give me a chance to make this up to you. I know I can't get back the time I missed and I know I can't go back and be there when you needed me most. But I can be here for you now. And I am finally in a position where I can... I can be here for you whole heartedly," he said bringing his hand up to her face and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Please let me back into your life, Liv."

"El," Olivia said quietly trying to fight back the tears beginning to form in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She couldn't bring herself to tell him to stay out of her life. She knew that was what she needed to do, but she didn't know if she could. Or even if she wanted to. How could she continue with her relationship with Brian if she was constantly thinking of Elliot?

"Let's take this slow," she finally said under her breath as she felt his hand move from her cheek to the nape of her neck. He pulled her head into his chest and wrapped his arms around her body. She instinctively put her arms around his muscular physique and pulled him tight. She didn't know how things would turn out with Elliot, but she knew she at least needed her companion back.

As she pulled back from his hold, she noticed what looked like tears forming in the corners of his narrowed but vivid steel-blue eyes. He noticed her disquieted expression and quickly whispered, "I'm happy."

The sensation of his breath whispering into her ear was intoxicating. The sexual tension she had suppressed for so long was currently attempting to burst from her body. She had successfully subdued the longing for intimacy with Elliot before, but things were different now. Elliot's union with Kathy was no longer a roadblock in her path to happiness. Her relationship with Brian entered her thoughts once again, but she dismissed them as quickly as they arrived. She had ached for this love for so long. She called to mind all of the moments of their partnership when she yearned for him to realize that she was capable of being the woman of his dreams. Olivia knew in that moment that Elliot was the one man who truly and entirely held her heart. She couldn't contest this fact any longer. She resoluted to surrendering to her love for this man that was still clutching her within his arms.

She raised her head from its resting place on his chest and gazed into his glistening eyes. He peered through the tears to stare at the light reflecting in her deep brown eyes. He marvelled over her beauty as she stood there in his arms. He wondered why he had let so many years elapse without her. He realized she was necessary for his contentent and happiness.

As she tilted her head backward to bring her pursed lips towards his, she remembered their kiss from the following week. This was different. This was better. She leaned towards him, minimalizing the distance separating their bodies. As her lips met his soft, ample kiss, she could feel a tingling sensation as her lips became overwhelmingly sensitive. Her heart began beating so fast she was certain Elliot could feel it as his chest pressed against hers while he pulled her body into his.

Being certain not to relinquish their kiss, Olivia and Elliot staggered a few steps to the couch situated in the middle of the room. As he held his hand in the small of her back for her balance, he placed her on the couch. While laying her down, he pulled away reluctantly from their kiss to admire the alluring woman bestowed before him. Slowly, he ascended between her thighs resting his hands on either side of her head. As he lowered his body down on top of hers, her body reacted to his causing her hips to move in the direction of his. She relished this feeling, but demanded more. She reached her hands up and positioned them on both sides of his face before pulling him into her kiss once more.

As they continued with their kiss, he could feel his pants tightening with excitement and elation. This was a moment he had only fantasized about before this engagement. As his eagerness grew, he removed his hand from under her hair that was scattered around her head. He placed his hand on her stomach, just above her belt. He teased her skin with his rough fingertips as he slid them under the edge of her pants. Before reaching her panties, he pulled his hand up and began sliding it underneath her shirt across the soft skin of her midsection. He pulled her shirt up resting it on her breasts, exposing her bare stomach. He retired from their kiss and sat upright, resting his weight on his knees while taking in the sight before him. He moved back away from her body momentarily before lowering his pouted lips onto the sensitive skin of her stomach just above where his fingertips had briefly explored just before. He placed his hands underneath her on either side of her midsection. He gently pulled her body up as he kissed her skin as he couldn't seem to get close enough to her.

Her body was experiencing such bliss as the true love of her life was expressing his appetite for her. Finally, after fifteen years, her heart's truest desires were coming true. He continued to softly press his lips to her skin as his hand moved from underneath the right side of her body to expose her breast. As he pushed her bra up, his kisses slowly began moving north. Just as he was about to move his lips from her upper abdomen onto her olive skinned breast, she jumped at the sound of her phone ringing. As she reached for it from inside her back pocket, Elliot leaned back with hesitation and aggravation.

"Benson," she uttered out almost breathless.

"Yes, Nick. I'm fine... My lunch date just ran a little late... Thanks," she said regrettably. As she hung up from the call, she began pulling herself up. She lowered her shirt as she returned to an upright position. She looked over at Elliot who had evident disappointment spilled across his face. "I'm sorry," she said as she reached over to kiss him on the cheek.

"I understand," he said in a low, raspy voice filled with despair.

As Olivia stood up and began straightening her clothing, she said to Elliot, "El, I need to sort out some things at home before we can take this to the next level."

"Liv, what are you talking about? You're not married to the guy... Just leave," he said quickly and annoyed.

"Just leave? And go where, El?" she asked inquisitively as she placed her cell back into her back pocket and grabbed her keys off of his coffee table.

"Here, Liv," he said dragging his voice out as if she should have realized what he meant.

"So... since you're ready to be in a relationship with me, I'm suppose to just... Just leave the life I've been living for three years since you've been gone," she said staring at him intently with raised eyebrows. "I don't think that is the way this is going to work, El."

Elliot began to speak, but closed his mouth and looked down at his fumbling thumbs. Olivia began to walk towards the door before turning back towards him. She was tired of their angered departures. She walked back over to him, pulled him off the couch and placed her hands on his upper arms. She grasped his biceps and pulled him close to her as he kissed his lips softly.

"We will work this out," she said as she pulled her lips away from his.

"I'll take you back to work," he said before quickly kissing her one last time before picking up his belongings off the coffee table and escorting her back into his car parked out front.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I own my story... That is all. Characters belong to Dick Wolf.**

"Hey, Bri... Wish you'd return my call and let me know if I'm getting dinner for one or two," Olivia said into the receiver of her phone before hanging up and placing it back on her desk.

She sat there for a minute or two before looking back over at her phone. She wanted to pick it up and tell Elliot she would be at his apartment in an hour for dinner. She knew that wasn't plausible at that moment. She needed to tell Brian how she was feeling.

"Hey, Liv. What are you still doing here?" Cragen said walking up to her from his dark office behind him.

"Hey, Cap. I'm just waiting on Brian to call me back," she said staring at her phone still sitting on her desk.

"Well, get some rest tonight, Liv. You deserve it," Cragen said as he turned to walk to the elevator.

"Good night, Cap," she responded still glaring at her phone. Why hadn't he called her back yet? His shift at the Bronx courthouse ended over three hours ago. It seemed like they were always missing each other's calls. Maybe he was having second thoughts too. He still could have enough common courtesy to return her phone call, though.

The longer she sat there staring at the silenced phone, the madder she became. Before she realized what she was doing, she had her phone unlocked and a Elliot's contact information pulled up.

She tapped on "Send a Message." _Hey. Are you busy? -Liv_ "Send."

Was it really necessary to conclude each message with her name? Surely her number was still programmed into his phone. It hadn't changed in fifteen years. He should know it by heart. Her thoughts were interrupted with vibrations from her phone.

_Nope. - El_

Short and sweet. At least he could return a message.

_Want company? _

She didn't see a reason to go home and sit alone when Elliot was alone too. They could keep each other company. Right. Just keep each other company. She knew better than that. Her thoughts were inturrupted again by the notification of an incoming message.

_Always -El_

The drive to Elliot's apartment was quick. She was glad he was staying in Manhattan again. She was glad he was so close to her. She recognized the apartment building from earlier that day as she pulled up. "You couldn't make it twelve hours without seeing him this time," she mumbled to herself as she turned the car's engine off. She glanced over towards the front door as a shadow appeared. Elliot. She smiled as she identified the outline as his muscular body.

As she walked closer to the door, he opened the door welcoming her back. He greeted her with a very contagious smile and she smiled back instantly. "Welcome back," he said to her with a very natural and genuine grin showing off his perfect teeth. Everything about him was perfect to her in that moment.

He reached down and clasped his fingers with hers and began leading her down to his apartment for the second time that day. When they arrived at his apartment door, he pushed it open as he hadn't shut it completely beforehand. They both walked in with much more comfort than they had earlier.

"Sorry if I disturbed your night," Olivia started as Elliot took her jacket and hung it up for her. She noticed how amazing he looked in his pajama pants and tshirt. She had never seen him look so relaxed before. After he was finished, he walked over to her and held her close while looking into her eyes as if he was looking into her soul.

"You didn't disturb anything, Liv," he finally said still gazing into her eyes. "You could never disturb anything," he continued as his voice softened into a whisper and his lips inched closer to hers.

His lips softly fell upon hers. His hand moved to rustling her coffee colored hair just above her neck. He could smell her soft perfume as he opened his mouth in an effort to invade hers. As their tongues danced simultaneously, their lips seemed to move in time with each other.

"Elliot," she let out a moan as he began to pull on her locks of hair now tangled around his fingers. She leaned her head slightly back while complying with his tug. He moved the focus of his lips from her kiss to her exposed neck. He placed his lips on the middle of her neck and gently began kissing while still pulling on her tousled hair.

"El," she whispered again. Elliot journeyed his kisses from the middle of her neck upwards just below her right ear. He stopped when his nose grazed the bottom of her ear. He raised his mouth towards her ear and gently whispered "I missed you" into her ear.

He kissed her once more before pulling himself away from her. He kept his grasp on her forearms as he studied the tear rolling down her cheek. He shifted his focus to her's. Their eyes met as they had hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. But this time was different. This time was deeper. This time, it was okay to express their love for each other through their stares.

He turned around while keeping one hand clenched onto her arm and led her past the kitchen table, past the kitchen island and into a small hallway. They walked towards the door straight ahead, passing two other doors. Once they were inside the room, Olivia glanced around seeing at least twenty candles lit all over Elliot's bedroom. She was in awe of his romantic side.

"El," she began as she continued looking around at how beautiful everything was. The beauty of the candlelight. The beauty of his efforts. The beauty of him. The beauty of their love. "I don't know what to say," she whispered to him holding back more tears. "No one has ever done anything like this for me," she continued as she wiped her eye before any liquid could roll down her cheek again.

"Don't say anything, Liv. Just enjoy it," he whispered back as he took his tshirt off, tossing it on the ground to the right of where they were standing. He walked over to the left side of the bed and switched on the radio on his nightstand before standing in front of her again.

She was momentarily paralyzed by the perfection in that moment. His beautiful, perfect body in the dimness of the light from the candles. She just stood there. He was everything she had ever wanted, and now here he was. Here he was, just for her. Just for her, and she wasn't going to waste another second of it.

"I missed you too, Elliot Stabler," she whispered through her smile as the walked over to where he was standing and began passionately kissing him. They tumbled onto the bed, never breaking their kiss.

She laid there on her back gazing up as Elliot pulled away and began unbuttoning her shirt from the top downward. She pushed her bossoms up as he finished the last button, causing her shirt to fall to the sides of her black bra. He reached for her left hand and pulled her up, allowing her shirt to fall behind her back. After her arms were free from the shirt sleeves, he tossed it onto the floor next to his resting tshirt. He let go of her hand, and she returned to resting on the bed awaiting his next move.

Elliot did not recognize this submissive side of Olivia. He was intrigued yet guarded. He was so comfortable with her, yet he didn't want to make her uneasy in any way. This was unchartered territory for both of them.

He began to unfasten her belt as she kicked her shoes off, then her pants. Once unbuttoned, he smoothly slid her pants off of her long, toned legs. He was astonished at her beautiful, olive skinned body laying in his bed in just a soft, black bra with laced edges with matching panties.

He stood up and removed his pajamas pants, revealing his excitement under his briefs. He climbed back onto the bed and slid between Olivia's legs. As he lowered his body onto hers, she could feel him protruding into her. She couldn't wait to feel him inside of her. She had fantasized about these moments for so many years, never expecting them to become reality.

He began to kiss her shoulder as he slowly slid the strap of her bra down onto her right arm, then her left. Returning his kisses to her lips, he slowly reached behind her as she arched her back to unfasten her bra. With one swift flick of his fingers, the clasps were undone. She noticed his apparent experience with that motion, but quickly voided her mind of any thoughts that didn't include her with him.

As she pulled her bra off, she tossed it onto the ever growing pile of laundry in the middle of the room. As Elliot leaned down to kiss Olivia again, he propped himself up with his left elbow placed above her shoulder. His right hand cupped her left breast. As he caressed her, her tongue occupied his mouth fighting for dominance, their noses rubbing frequently.

The tension in her body was becoming unbearable. She was growing tired of feeling this frustration and quickly slipped her panties off while still under Elliot's body.

"Your turn," she said tossing her panties into the pile, smiling as their lips were still within millimeters of each other.

"Getting a little anxious, Detective," Elliot said relieved the compliant Olivia had disappeared and imperious Olivia was back. He stood once more, pushing his briefs down to his knees. From there, they fell onto the plush, tan carpet of his bedroom. He stepped out of them as he regained his place ontop of Olivia.

"Liv," he said as she began to feel pressure from him. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, El. Positive," she said with a reaffirming smile. She knew she had wanted nothing more than this for a long, long time.

As he slid into her, she let out a whimper. Every sensation was intensified from the softness of his sheets to the roughness of his fingertips massaging her breast. His mouth overwhelmed hers as he began thrusting in and out of her. She inhaled his wonderful cologne and her memory flashed back to all the times she had enjoyed the same fragrance as they worked side by side, building the sexual tension that was just now being released.

He looked down at her staring into his eyes, he saw all that needed to see. He could see the love she had held onto for all those years. He could see how much he meant to her. He wondered how that moment could possibly be any better.

Their breathing seemed in sync along with the movements of their bodies. They had always worked so well together, although neither one ever thought their chemistry would appertain to this too.

"Liv," Elliot moaned as his movements hastened a bit and he moved his grip to her backside.

"El," she groaned in response to his fingertips digging into her skin. She could tell by his fastened motions and his facial expressions that he was close, which sent her over the edge.

"El... El... Elliot," she shouted as she tightened around him, causing him to reach his limit. As he finished, he slowly lowered his head onto her chest. She brought her hand up to and began stroking his hair.

"Liv," he said quietly as he laid there listening to the rhythm of her heart beating underneath him.

"Yeah, El?" she answered breathlessly.

"I love you," he spoke softly not moving from his current position.

"I love you, too," she said as a smile spread across her face. She couldn't recall a time she had felt this delighted. Every other thought was erased from her mind as she laid there revelling in what had just transpired.

Slowly, their breathing steadied and joined into a harmonious rhythm together as they drifted to sleep within each other's arms for the first time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns the characters. Not I. **

**A/N: Please read and review! CC greatly appreciated! And I will try to incorporate any suggestions you may have into future chapters!**

Olivia was awaken by the sound of her phone ringing from the inside the pocket of her pants still laying in the pile of clothing on Elliot's bedroom floor. She scurried off the bed to retrieve the phone before the call was sent to voicemail.

"Benson," she said quickly as she pulled the phone from her pocket.

"Liv, where are you?" Brian questioned from the other end of the phone. _Shit,_ she thought to herself as she looked at Elliot's alarm clock on his nightstand. Midnight. _Shit._

"I'm... I'm at the crib, Bri," she said lying to him for the second time within a week. "I called you earlier and you never returned my call, so I stayed late working on a case."

"I had to work a double after Wallace called in," he said explaining his lack of communication with her.

"You could have called me, Bri," she said as got up from Elliot's bed and began to make her way into the bathroom situated through a door to the right of his bed. She flicked the light on and squinted into the mirror. She studied herself in the mirror and began to wipe off the eye liner that had smudged halfway down her face. "I'm just going to stay at the crib tonight."

"Are you okay?" Brian asked,

"I'm fine, Bri. I just have a lot going on with this case and I'm so close to a lead," she said almost convincing herself that there was about to be a break on the Paige Bishop case.

"Okay, Liv. I'll see ya tomorrow," he concluded casually before saying goodbye. It was at that moment that she realized they had never told each other they loved each other. She had just said those words to Elliot not even three hours earlier, but she hadn't said them to her boyfriend of almost a year.

She contemplated going to the station house and sleeping the rest of the night in the crib, but she wasn't ready to leave Elliot yet.

As she walked out of his bathroom and switched the light off, she was guided by the light of the alarm clock glowing in the darkness. As she approached the bed, she slowly climbed back onto her side. Once she was under the blanket, she scooted her body over towards Elliot until his back was pressed against her chest. She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him even closer.

"Boyfriend checking up on ya?" Elliot mumbled as he rubbed her hand that was resting on his stomach.

"I'm sorry, El. I didn't mean to wake you," she said softly into his backside as she cuddled him before kissing his shoulder.

He rolled his body over so he was now facing her. Their faces were even as both of their heads rested on equal sized pillows. They could barely see each other's faces through the darkness.

"Liv," he started slowly. "I don't want to complicate things for you," he said bringing his hand up to rub her cheek. "I just have missed you so much," he continued. "I never intended to leave you. Things just changed so fast," he admitted with embarrassment in his voice.

"Ssshh," Olivia hushed him as she moved closer. "Don't talk," she said as she began kissing him slowly. She didn't think she could ever tire of the feelings he created inside of her. When she was close to him, she felt more alive than she ever had. She felt like she was where she was meant to be. Three years away from him had been the hardest journey of her life. She had been through so many different experiences since he left her; some of them were directly related to his departure, others were not. Despite everything she had been through, Elliot could still make her feel like a real woman. He made her feel wanted for who she truly was. No one knew her better.

As he felt her lips melt into his, he positioned himself underneat her. He could feel the warmth of her body radiating onto him as they were both still disrobed from their earlier activities. She began to move her hips back and forth over him and he could tell she was beginning to get excited again. Before he was fully aware of what was about to happen, she was situating him as she lowered herself onto him. He didn't think anything could be as exhilarating as when he first found himself sinking inside of her the first time, but this was pretty damn close. The feeling of her responding to him was invigorating and she began to move back and forth at a faster pace. He wanted to move with her but found himself paralyzed with delight. He just laid there staring up at her shadow as she worked him over for the second time that night.

"What do you like, Elliot?" she asked interrupting the chorus of I'll Be by Edwin McCain streaming through his radio on his nightstand.

_What do I like?_ He thought to himself instantly. _I like you! Can't you see that!? You're all I want, _he thought as he searched for an answer to give her.

"Anything you do is perfect, Liv," he said panting with joy and exhaustion as she continued to move her hips on top of him. Slowly, she climbed off of him and situated herself between his thighs. She took him within in her hand and slowly lowered her mouth onto him. After she had taken in all of him that she physically could, she began raising and lowering her mouth - slowly at first but quickly gaining speed.

He had never been known to reach his climax during cunnilingus, but he was seeing that as a very real possibility. He fumbled his hands in her hair before grasping her tangled locks and followed the motions of her mouth sliding on him.

"Liv," he whispered as he felt his end nearing. "Liv, I'm about to.." he said as she interrupted him.

"It's okay," she said quickly before returning her mouth to him. Was she serious? Kathy never let him finish like this. The thought of him climaxing between her lips sent him into an amazing orgasm. This could have been the best orgasm he had had since... Well, since earlier that night when he made love with Olivia for the first time.

As he finished, she pulled away and sat up on her knees between his legs. He couldn't see her but he could tell she wasn't reaching for anything to discard what he had just expelled. Was she going to...

"How was that, Detective?" she asked confirming that she had, indeed, taken care of what had previously occupied her mouth. _Holy shit,_ he thought to himself.

"Amazing," he said under his breath as she stood and walked towards his bathroom. He could hear water running followed by her expectorating the water from her mouth.

She crawled back into bed with him and he embraced her with every intention of making this a nightly habit. They slowly drifted off to sleep again as their breathing steadied and syncronized.

The drive to work the next morning was filled with so many thoughts of elation and happiness. She couldn't believe she had just stayed the night with Elliot. Not just her partner Elliot, but her lover Elliot. But, he wasn't her lover. Brian was. _Shit,_ she thought to herself again. She had found that word more and more appropriate over the last 24 hours than she ever had before.

As she walked into the station house, memories of the night before were still circulating her mind with an image of Brian popping up every few minutes.

"Morning, Liv," Fin said as she walked into the squadroom and sat her belongings on her desk.

"Morning," she replied walking over to the coffee pot.

"Watch out. Cragen made the coffee this morning," Rollins warned her as she poured creamer into her cup of Joe.

"Munch just had to pass the buck of crumby coffee making when he left, didn't he?" Olivia joked. She poured her cup and walked back to her desk. As she sat down, she noticed Brian walking into the squadroom with an envelope in his hand. Adrenaline burst through her body and she was certain she could feel every nerve ending she had. _Shit._

"Hey, Liv," he said walking over to her and kissing her on the cheek. "Missed you last night."

"Hey Bri. Aren't you going to be late for your shift?" she asked quickly, almost too quickly.

"I just wanted to drop this off for you on my way," he said handing her the envelope. "Is... that okay, Liv?" he asked sensing her nervousness.

"Of course, Bri," she responded forcing a smile. _Shit._

"Well, I'll call you later," he said kissing her forehead before turning to walk out.

_Awkward_, she thought to herself. She knew she couldn't keep things from him much longer. Guilt was going to take control of her if she didn't straighten things out soon.

"Everything okay, Liv?" Rollins asked quietly as she walked over to where Olivia was standing.

"Yeah... yeah," Olivia said with a half smile trying to not only reassure Rollins, but herself, that everything was going to be alright. "I'm fine."

"You know you can talk to me about anything," Rollins finished as she reached up and touched Olivia's arm before she walked back to her desk. Olivia really did appreciate her efforts, but she knew no one could understand this situation... Except Elliot.

She sat down and hesitantly opened the envelope from Brian. She pulled out a card with a beautiful poem written on the front of it. _Shit._ She opened the card and read his handwritten message to her:

_"Everyday I spend with you is the best day of my life. -Brian"_

She closed the card and placed it back in its envelope before hiding it in her top desk drawer. She glanced out the window across the squadroom and noticed the bouquet of red lilies from the day before sitting on a table against the wall. The man she had dedicated the last year of her life to brought her a card. The man she had dedicated twelve years of her life to sent her flowers.

She tried her best to focus on the day's tasks at hand throughout the day, but was unsuccessful. She was dreading going home and having the impending conversation with Brian. She wished she could hop in her car and drive to Elliot's apartment and spend the rest of the evening in his arms. As five o'clock came and went, she sat at her desk studying the reports Det. Williams and Elliot had given her the prior week.

"Benson. Rollins," Cragen said interrupting the concentration she had strived for all day. "You two get out of here. You've worked hard enough this week. That's an order."

"I'm just finishing up my DD5's then I'm on my way, Cap," Rollins answered.

"Benson?" he questioned staring at Olivia under raised eyebrows.

"Got it, Cap," she said smiling at Cragen. She appreciated how protective he was of her.

Satisfied with their answers, he headed towards the elevator and out of their sights.

"Hey, Liv. Wanna go down to O'Malley's and have a few drinks? I'm buying," Rollins offered.

Olivia thought about denying the offer immediately, but decided to take Rollins up on her offer.

"Sure," Olivia responded taking Amanda by surprise.

"Really," she said with a smile on her face. "Alright then! Give me ten minutes and we'll roll."

As the two detectives walked down the street towards O'Malley's, they participated in the usual friendly banter of two people who spent nearly 60 hours a week together as the only women in a precinct full of men. Olivia was grateful for Amanda. She enjoyed having another woman to work with and spread the flow of estrogen against the wave of testosterone in the one six.

Once they walked into O'Malley's, they saw Fin sitting in the back corner of the bar at their usual table.

"I thought I was going to be the only one holding down this table tonight," he said sarcastically as the two women walked up and sat down on either side of him.

"Hey, Fin," Olivia said smiling towards him.

"Hey, Liv. Glad you came out tonight. It's been a while," he said motioning for the waitress to come to their table.

"Yeah, it has been. Too long!" she added as a young lady came over to take their order. She was very pretty, too pretty to be working in a bar like this. She was about 5'7" and maybe 110 pounds. She couldn't have been older than 25 with beautiful blonde hair and stunning, sky blue eyes.

"Hi! My name is Chelsea and I'll be taking care of y'all tonight," she said with an apparent Southern accent. "What can I get y'all to drink?"

"I'll take a Seven and Seven," Olivia said motioning for Amanda to order.

"I'll just have a Dos Equis," Amanda said smiling as Chelsea walked towards the bar to fill our orders.

"I think that girl could be your sister, Rollins," Fin joked.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Fin," she said smiling at Fin as she tapped his arm.

A few minutes passed and Chelsea returned with their drinks and a complimentary dish of mixed nuts. The trio sat and talked for a while before Fin noticed something out of the ordinary across the room of the crowded bar.

"Hey, Liv. Isn't that Cassidy?" Fin asked pointing to the opposite corner of the bar where a group of men sat gathered around the young blonde waitress, Chelsea. She glanced down at her phone to see if maybe she had missed a call or text from him. Nothing. She glared on as she nursed her Seven and Seven to see Brian join in on the obvious flirting attempts with Chelsea. "You wanna call him over here?" Fin finished pretending not to observe Cassidy's betrayal of Olivia as to not make it uncomfortable for any of them.

"No. Actually, I think I'm going to head home. It's been a long day," she said as she reached for money from her purse to throw down on the table.

"I told you, Liv. I got this," Rollins said handing her money back to her.

"I owe ya one, Rollins," Olivia said as she retrieved the money and smiled before turning towards the door.

Once she was outside, she walked back towards the stationhouse. She reached into her back pocket and grabbed her cell phone. She unlocked the phone and immediately dialed Elliot's number. She hadn't heard from him since this morning before she left for her shift.

"Hello," Elliot said as though he had just woken up.

"Did I wake you?" Olivia asked as she couldn't fight the smile that spread across her face as soon as she heard his voice.

"Nah. I just dozed while watching the game," he said into the phone. "You coming home?" he said jokingly implying his home was her home.

"I'll be there in twenty," she replied as she went to hang up she heard him yell her name.

"What is it, El?" she said afraid he had changed his mind last second.

"I love you," he said sweetly to her. She stopped instantly as she felt pleasure and happiness overtake her body.

"I love you, too, El," she said before hanging up and returning the phone to her back pocket. She began walking towards the precinct where her car was parked.

"Be careful, Liv," she heard someone say from behind her. She turned around to see Rollins walking towards her. "I just came out to see if you were okay after what happened in there, I didn't mean to evesdrop," she said still walking towards her.

"Oh, it's.. um.. it's" Olivia searched for the words before surrendering to the truth. "Amanda, please. Just between us girls?" she said shamefully looking up from underneath her brow.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Liv. I just... I just don't want you to get hurt. I've been where you are. It can get nasty," she said being straightforward with the detective she looked up to more than anyone at the one six.

"I know," Olivia responded. "I'll see ya in the morning, Rollins," she said as she finished the short walk to her car before turning to smile at Rollins as she climbed into her sedan and drove towards Elliot's house.


	5. Chapter 5

Olivia stopped at her and Brian's apartment on the way to Elliot's. She knew she didn't have to worry about Brian being there as she had just seen him at O'Malley's with _"Chelsea."_ As she sorted through her closet to find an outfit to wear the next day, she noticed her phone ringing from the bed where she had tossed it when she had entered the bedroom. _Brian_.

She disregarded the call, letting it go to voicemail, and continued to pack her overnight bag. She knew she had no room to be mad at Brian when she was hiding secrets from him, but she couldn't help but feel violated by the attention she had witnessed him giving to _Chelsea._

Olivia quickly disregarded those thoughts as she finished packing her bag to head over to Elliot's. Just as she was forgetting about Brian, she heard the door shut from the living room. She quickly pulled her gun from the nightstand and headed into the main living area of the apartment. "Brian?" she said surprised to see him.

"Hey. I left you a message. Anderson just called me in for Wallace. Wha... what are you doing?" he said pointing to her overnight bag.

"I... I was just heading back to the crib. Ran out of clean laundry and needed a toothbrush," she said raising the toothbrush she had been holding in one of her hands.

"This is the second night in a row, Liv. You sure everything's okay?" he questioned her while walking towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he said with honest sincerity, never breaking eye contact with her.

"I'm fine," she said barely audible, trying to contain her emotions. Her guilt was already beginning it's attack on her strength, but she knew she couldn't have the much needed conversation at that moment. She didn't have the mental capacity to say the things that needed to be said and all she could think about was getting out of that apartment and into Elliot's.

"Call ya tomorrow?" Brian said as he backed away from her. He was becoming familiar with her body language. He had been very courteous of her feelings since her attack and knew he needed to give her all the space she needed.

"Sure," she said as she walked towards the door. Just before she opened the door, she heard Brian call her name.

"Liv," he said as she turned back to face him. "Be careful."

She smiled slightly before exiting the apartment and entering the elevator. _Be careful? Be careful!? That's what he says to the woman of his dreams._ She said to herself during the slow ride to the main level of her apartment building. His lack of commitment never ceased to amaze her.

She mentally beat herself up on the ride over to Elliot's. She didn't understand why she couldn't stand up to Brian and tell him he wasn't what she desired anymore. Was she afraid of him? Of hurting him? Or did she just not want to deal with the confrontation. Regardless of the reason, it didn't make the situation go away.

The night was still and peaceful as she emerged from her car and began the short walk to the front door of Elliot's apartment building. She pressed the buzzer to his apartment and waited for a response. She heard a car pass to break the silence followed by Elliot buzzing her in. This hallway was becoming very familiar to her. She liked it.

Elliot opened his door wearing another tshirt with basketball shorts this time. He ushered her in without a word as he rubbed his eyes. He obviously had fallen back asleep since their phone call.

"I'm going to take this into the bedroom," she said referring to her overnight bag as she walked towards the room they had made love in the previous night. When she entered the room, she noticed all the burned down candles from the night before. She smiled as she saw his tshirt still laying in the middle of the room. He obviously wasn't use to picking up after himself yet.

She opened her bag and began digging for pajamas. _Shit._ She realized she hadn't managed to get that far in her packing before Brian showed up unexpectedly. "Hey, El," she yelled from the bedroom door.

"Yeah," he said from the couch where he had reclaimed his place.

"I forgot pajamas. You have a tshirt I can borrow?" she said smiling as he peered up over the edge of the couch.

"What do you need pajamas for?" he said to her smiling his wry grin. "They're in the top drawer," he said replacing his head on the pillow situated against the arm of the couch.

As she opened the top drawer of his chest of drawers, she grabbed a tshirt that had previously been neatly folded within. She slid out of her work pants, leaving her panties and removed her shirt and bra, replacing it with Elliot's gray NYPD tshirt. She wrapped her arms around herself relishing in the comfort of his cotton tshirt.

She slowly made her way back into the living room seeing Elliot had already dozed back off watching the conclusion to SportsCenter. _Bless his heart. He must have had a rough day at work._ She thought to herself before remembering he worked Cold Case. _How hard could it have been? _ She laughed to herself. She walked into the kitchen and found a glass in the upper cabinet to the left of his sink that was facing the opposite wall of the front door. She walked over to the refridgerator and withdrew a bottle of water. Quietly, she shut the door to the refridgerator and poured herself a glass of water. As she slowly sipped from the glass, she watched Elliot peacefully resting on the couch. His right arm was outstretched above his head as his left arm rested on his abdomen. _He's even sexy when he sleeps_, she thought to herself.

Silently, she tiptoed from behind the kitchen island to where Elliot rested on the couch. She knelt down in front of him and began stroking his hair. She leaned down kissing him softly on his cheek and he began to open his eyes. "Sorry, Liv," he said apologized.

"I was enjoying the view," she smiled as she stared into his scintillating blue eyes.

"Some view," he joked as he referred to the image of himself laying on the couch. He repositioned himself on the couch to make room for Olivia to lay beside him. She crawled on the couch and settled herself in his embrace. They lay there together pretending to watch SportsCenter, as he repeatedly kissed the top of her head and she squeezed his hand that was wrapped around her stomach.

"Hey, Liv," he eventually said after the SportsCenter had concluded for the night.

"Yes, El," she responded smiling at the chance to say his name again; to be close to him again.

"I am really glad you're here," Elliot said squeezing her tight.

"I'm really gla..." Olivia started as she was cut off by a knock on the door.

"What the hell?" Elliot said under his breath as he rose from the couch and walked towards the door. There was another knock before Elliot could reach the door. "I'm comin'!" he yelled with aggrevation.

Nobody could have prepared him for who was standing on the other side of that door when he opened it. Olivia was sitting upright on the couch now awaiting to see who was rude enough to disturb their peaceful night. He swung the door open with his temper verging on explosive. _Brian._

Olivia saw Brian as soon as Elliot flung the door open, and Brian immediately saw her. She gasped at the image of him and Elliot on either sides of the door. _Shit._

"Olivia?" Brian questioned like maybe her existence in Elliot's apartment wasn't real. "What... what are you... Well, I obviously know what you're doing here..."

"Brian," she started as he held his hand up motioning for her to stop talking. She obliged immediately as Elliot started to move in front of Brian to block his view of her.

"What do you want, Cassidy?" Elliot said defensively, wondering why this man was banging on his door in the middle of the night as if he didn't know.

"I want to know why my girlfriend is in your apartment, Stabler," he said walking up to Elliot until they were chest to chest.

"Get out," Elliot said sternly.

"Not until I get some things answered," he said as he looked passed Elliot to Olivia still sitting on the couch.

"Bri, I'm sorry," she started as she stood from the couch before realizing she was in Elliot's tshirt and her panties. _Shit. _ She sat back down as if either man hadn't seen her in less.

"No, Olivia. I am apparently the one who should be sorry for interrupting," he said implying that her attire suggested something risque had transpired.

"Brian, I forgot my pajamas at home," she said like that would ease his mind. The fact was blatantly that she was laying on Elliot's couch in the middle of the night after telling her boyfriend she was spending the night at the precinct.

"How long has this been going on?" Brian asked both of them.

"Just a couple days, Brian," Olivia confessed. Why lie? She wouldn't have to dread the conversation and breaking the news to him this way. She didn't feel the urge to rekindle the relationship with Brian. She was somewhat relieved that she could openly be with Elliot after her relationship with Brian ended.

"Stabler," Brian said looking at Elliot. "Did she tell you we were dating?"

"She mentioned it," Elliot said casually shrugging his shoulders as if Brian's questions weren't worth his time.

"And you think it's okay to sleep with another man's woman? Another brother in blue's girlfriend?" Brian said walking up to Elliot before pushing Elliot back. Elliot caught himself as he hit the back of the couch where Olivia was sitting.

"Brian!" Olivia shouted at him as Elliot pushed himself off of the back of the couch. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"Shut up, Liv," Brian warned.

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that," Elliot warned with a look of vengence in his eyes.

Brian looked hard at Elliot, then at Olivia. "You're a bitch," he said before turning around towards the door. This struck a chord with Elliot as he remembered all the perps who had called her a bitch over the years. He remembered how that one word could cut into her unlike any other. Before he knew what he was doing, he had Brian turned around facing him, pushed against the wall with Brian's uniform shirt bunched in his hand.

"Get out before I do something I'll regret," Elliot warned.

"Screw you, Stabler," Brian said fearlessly and pushed Elliot back while attempting to straighten up his uniform shirt.

Elliot stood there watching this arrogant man intrude his apartment. He had had enough and before he realized his actions, Elliot had struck Brian's face with his fist.

"Elliot!" Olivia screamed from the couch before rushing over to try to assist Brian. He refused her help and straightened himself revealing a path of blood flowing from his mouth. Elliot had hit him square in the jaw.

Brian turned without another word and walked out of the apartment. Elliot followed and shut the door before locking the doorknob and deadbolt. Olivia felt the tears begin to flow from the overwhelming experience that had just occurred. She hadn't even made herself comfortable with the idea of discussing ending her relationship with Brian yet, and here he walked in on her and Elliot in Elliot's apartment.

Elliot turned quickly and pulled her as close as possible. He held her tight in his arms. "Are you okay, Liv," he finally asked her as her tears slowed.

"I'll be fine, El. How's your hand?" she said pulling back to examine his hand.

"I've had a lot worse," he said trying to lighten the mood. She appreciated his attempt to make her feel better but all she wanted to do was go to sleep.

"El?" she began. "Can we go to bed?" she said wiping away tears from her cheeks.

"Of course," he said as he reached for the remote to turn off the television. They walked hand in hand towards his bedroom before seperating to climb into opposite sides of the bed, then meeting again in the middle. He stretched his arm out to make room for her to rest her head on his chest. She complied and he cradled her closely as she laid there without saying a word, listening to the beat of his heart. It was like a peaceful lullaby that quickly lulled her to sleep.

"I love you, Liv," Elliot said before softly kissing the top of her head. He quickly followed suit and fell asleep with her in his arms for the second night in a row.

The next morning, Olivia awoke to the aroma of bacon and coffee flowing through the small apartment she had spent the past two nights in. She reached for her cell phone on the nightstand to check for missed calls or messages. Nothing. She was relieved. She didn't want to deal with Brian first thing this morning. It was Saturday and she wasn't on call. She planned on enjoying this weekend with Elliot. As she laid there fantasizing of all the things they could do that weekend, Elliot opened the door carrying a tray.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said smiling as he sat the tray down across her lap as she rose to an upright position.

"Breakfast in bed!? This is a first," she said with delight. She observed the breakfast that had been prepared for her: bacon, omelette, biscuits and coffee. Not gourmet but definitely more than anything Brian ever prepared for her. "It's wonderful, El. Thank you," she said smiling up at him.

"I'm glad you like it," Elliot replied as his phone started ringing from the opposite nightstand. "Hello," he answered. Olivia realized he no longer answered with his usual "Stabler." "I told you I'd be there around noon to pick him up," he said into the receiver with a hint of aggrevation displayed in his voice.

Olivia's hopes and dreams for the weekend were shattered with that sentence. _Who is he picking up at noon? Oh well. Noon is still early. We can do something after he's finished with whatever he has to do,_ she thought to herself.

"Alright, I'll see you then," he concluded as he hung up the phone. "Sorry, Liv," he said returning to face Olivia.

"Sorry for what?" she said quizzically.

"That... That was Kathy." Her heart sank. Kathy. She had forgotten all about her. "It's my weekend with Eli. I need to pick him up today," he said sitting down next to her on the bed.

Olivia was relieved that Eli was the topic of that phone call. She remembered his delivery like it was yesterday. She was there when Kathy delivered him in the ambulance after their car accident. She smiled as she remembered how happy she was when Eli was born healthy and unharmed by the trama of the wreck. "How old is he now?" she questioned trying to remember how long ago it had been since his chaotic introduction into this world.

"He's five now. Six in November," he said as he watched Olivia eat her breakfast as the sun peered in through the window of his bedroom.

"Wow. Time flies," Olivia said in between bites. "Well, I can stay with..." she started as he interrupted her.

"You can stay here, Liv. I'm not going to kick you out because my kid is coming," he said reassuring her that everything would be fine. "Plus, he knows who you are."

"I'm sure he doesn't remember me, El," Olivia laughed before taking a sip of coffee. She hadn't seen Eli since Elliot left SVU three years prior.

"Well, probably not but we talk about you," Elliot confessed and pointed to a picture on his nightstand of her and him. How had she not noticed that picture already?

"Well, what do you talk about?" Olivia questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I tell him stories of how Daddy and Olivia captured bad guys together," he said as he grabbed the picture and held it in both hands, rubbing his thumb over her face. "He thinks we're superheroes." They both laughed and he replaced the picture on the nightstand. "I don't want to lose you again, Liv," he said with his voice trembling.

"Don't worry about that now, El. Let's focus on getting through the day keeping a five year old happy," she said as she pulled his chin with her finger to face her as she kissed his lips gently.

The drive to Queens should have been relaxing for Olivia. It was a beautiful day as the sun was shining, not a cloud in the perfect blue sky and a light wind rustled the leaves on the trees. She couldn't keep her mind off the confrontation from the previous night. She repeatedly thought of things she could have or should have said to Brian. She knew she owed him more of an explanation and knew he was hurting. "Elliot," she said quietly as she broke the silence in the car.

"Yeah, Liv," he said smiling over at her as she picked her hand up off of her lap and held it within his while he continued to man the steering wheel with the other.

"I am going to have to talk to Brian," she confessed. She noticed him clench his jaw as he focused on the road in front of them. "He deserves an explanation," she continued.

"You're probably right, Liv," Elliot responded in a very monotone voice as he pulled the car over to the side of the road and put the car in park beside the curb.

Olivia looked out her window and noticed they had arrived at the house Elliot use to call home, which was now Kathy's house. She saw two boys outside tossing a ball back and forth before realizing they were Elliot's sons, Dickie and Eli.

"They're so big," Olivia said quietly observing how much both of the boys had grown over the past three years. She looked over at Elliot and could tell he was proud of his children.

"I'll be right back," Elliot said as he unbuckled his seat belt and climbed out of his car. As he shut the door, it caught the attention of the two boys.

"Daddy!" Eli screamed running towards Elliot with open arms before jumping into Elliot's hold. "I missed you," he continued as he wrapped his short arms around Elliot's neck.

"I missed you, too buddy," Elliot said returned Eli's hug. "Hey, Dickie," he said focusing his attention on his older son.

"Hey," Dickie responded as he walked over and gave his father a short hug. "Is that Olivia?" he questioned as he noticed her sitting in the front seat of his father's car.

"Uh.. yeah," Elliot said putting Eli down. "Go get your bag, buddy," he said as Eli ran up the stairs and in the front door of his mother's house.

Dickie raised his hand and waved to Olivia. Olivia returned the gesture with a smile.

"It's about time," Dickie said with a small laugh to his father.

"What are you talking about?" Elliot questioned his oldest son with furrowed eyebrows.

"You and Olivia. Come on dad," Dickie responded with a smile indicating that his father should understand what he meant without having to spell it out for him.

Just before Elliot could respond, he heard the screen door shut as Kathy and Eli emerged from the house.

"I got my bags, Daddy!" Eli shouted as he walked down the stairs towards Elliot.

"Elliot, he just ate lunch thirty minutes ago. He should be fine until dinner," Kathy said updating her ex-husband on the status of their youngest child. "And my parents are coming for dinner tomorrow night, so could you have him back here by five?" she continued as she walked towards where Elliot, Dickie and Eli now stood on the edge of her lawn.

"Not a problem," Elliot replied as he noticed Kathy's facial expression change to a deep scrowl as she looked towards his car.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Kathy said turning around to face Elliot. "Did you have to bring her to my home? To pick up our child?"

"Kathy, don't start," Elliot said turning from her and grabbing his sons hand as he directed him towards the vehicle parked in the street. "I'll have him back tomorrow by five," he reassured her as he opened the back door of the black sedan allowing Eli to climb in.

Elliot climbed into the front seat noticing Kathy's angered expression as she stood beside Dickie with her arms crossed, still staring at Olivia. Olivia was staring down at her phone trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. Elliot reached over Olivia to wave at his oldest son. As Dickie waved back, Elliot told Eli to buckle up.

As Eli buckled his seatbelt, he focused his attention on his father's front seat passenger. "Hi, Livia!" Eli said with such happiness that Olivia wasn't sure she had ever heard her name sound so playful.

"Hi Eli," she said turning sideways in her seat to see a huge grin appear on Eli's face as Elliot took the car out of park and began driving away from his ex-wife's home. "I haven't seen you in a long time! You're so big," she said reaching back and patting his lap.

"I'm almost six," Eli said as he held up six fingers to show Olivia. "I'm in kindergarten!" He was so proud. He had his father's steel-blue eyes. They displayed such youth and happiness.

"That is great, Eli!" Olivia smiled back at Eli before turning to face Elliot. "I take it Kathy wasn't pleased to see me again."

"She'll get over it," Elliot said avoiding the conversation.

"El..." she started before being interrupted by Elliot.

"Later, Liv," he said looking at Eli in the rearview mirror. She understood his subtle hint and changed the topic of discussion.

"So, Eli. What is your favorite thing to eat?" Olivia questioned the young boy sitting in the back seat.

"Umm..." Eli started as he raised a finger to his chin obviously imitating an action he had witnessed before. "Spaghetti!" he screamed.

"Then spaghetti it is for dinner tonight," Oliva said to him. She realized the love she was already beginning to feel for this child. She loved him not only because he was a part of Elliot, but because his personality warranted all the love imaginable.

"Hey, Livia," Eli said with a much more serious than before tone.

"What is it, buddy?" Olivia replied wondering what his next statement would pertain to.

"I'm happy you picked me up with Daddy," he said with a smile before returning his focus to the buildings passing outside the car window.

Olivia turned around and rested in the front seat of Elliot's car. A smile spread across her face as she thought about the boy's sentence. She was glad she was there to pick him up with his daddy, too.


	6. Chapter 6

Once the trio arrived to Elliot's apartment, Eli took it upon himself to show Olivia his bedroom at his father's house. Olivia had spent two nights in this apartment and had never bothered to explore further than Elliot's bedroom.

"This is a baseball that Daddy got me at the baseball game," Eli showed Olivia showing her a baseball with a Mets logo on it. After Olivia admired the ball and voiced her approval, he replaced the ball into it's holder under a lamp on his desk. "Hey, Livia?"

"Yes, Eli," she said as she sat down on the edge of his full sized bed so she could face him better. She was beginning to love the way this little boy pronounced her name.

"Will you and Daddy tell me one of your superhero stories tonight?" he asked as he walked over towards her until they were face to face.

"Sure," she said tilting her head to one side while grinning. With that word, Eli jumped towards her wrapping his arms around her neck. She returned the hug as she fell backwards onto the bed, taking the boy with her. His giggles filled the entire apartment and Elliot smiled as he approached his son's doorway.

"Hey Liv," Elliot said walking towards the bed where Eli and Olivia were playing. "Did you know Eli has a tickle spot?" he said as he flipped his son over and began tickling the boy under his arms.

"I did not know that!" Olivia said as she turned over and joined Elliot in tickling the boy. His giggles escalated even louder than before.

"Daddy! Livia! Stop it!" Eli shouted with laughter. Finally, the couple stopped the tickle assault on the young child as he caught his breath.

Olivia sat back staring at Eli and Elliot and realized how happy these two made her. She felt as if she belonged in this apartment with the Stabler boys. She had never felt this comfortable in all the month's of living with Brian and realized that she and Brian had merely shared an apartment, but her and Elliot could really _live_ together.

"I'm going to go start on dinner," Olivia said as she stood from the bed and began making her way into the kitchen.

"Can I help?" Eli asked following her like a lost puppy dog.

"Sure!" she said delighted that Elliot's son was so fond of her. She had been a little nervous beforehand that he would not enjoy sharing his father with her.

Olivia let Eli help her fill up the pot with water before placing it on the stove top. Once the water was boiling, she allowed him to place the noodles in with her help, stir the sauce and then organize the bread on the sheet to be placed into the oven.

"Daddy! Dinner is done," Eli yelled to Elliot from the kitchen. Elliot climbed up from the couch and walked towards the dining table.

"It smells great, buddy," he said to Eli implying that it was his cooking that had created the wonderful aroma.

"It tastes even better!" Eli exclaimed as he slurped a noodle from his plate which caused the two adults laughter.

Elliot reached to his right and grabbed Olivia's hand as he mouthed "thank you" to her with a smile. He was overjoyed that Olivia and Eli were getting along so well.

After dinner, Elliot and Olivia let Eli pick a movie for the three of them to watch together. After the movie of choice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, ended, Elliot took his son into his bedroom to change into his pajamas. Olivia folded up the blanket Eli had just finished using before joining the boys in Eli's bedroom. As she walked into the room, Eli was just beginning to climb into bed followed by his father pulling the covers up around his chest.

"What story are we reading tonight, bud?" Elliot asked of his son who was cuddling into the blanket on top of him.

"Livia said she would tell me a superhero story tonight," Eli exclaimed looking over at Olivia standing just inside the doorway.

"That's right, Eli. And your daddy is going to help me," she said walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. Elliot walked to the other side of the bed and sat just across from Olivia. "Which story should we tell him?" she asked of her ex superhero partner.

"I know the perfect one," Elliot stated while staring at Olivia before turning his attention to his son laying between them. "Once upon a time," he started, "there as a man named Elliot.."

"That's you, Daddy!" Eli interrupted the story, proud that he knew his daddy's name.

"That's right," Elliot said calming his son down again. "Elliot was a superhero. But, Elliot didn't have a partner to help him catch the bad guys. Then... one day, this beautiful woman came in and said she was his new partner. Do you remember what her name was?" Elliot asked of his son. Olivia realized this wasn't the first time he had told this story.

"Livia!" Eli shouted.

"That's right. Olivia and Elliot were partners," Elliot said raising his eyes from his son to Olivia who was listening carefully and wondering how often he told this story to his sweet son. "Olivia and Elliot helped lots of people together..."

"Like Spiderman?!" Eli questioned interrupting his father's story again.

"Kind of," Olivia answered cutting into the story. "One time, Elliot even saved Olivia," she said looking for the boy's approval to continue.

"He did?" he asked inquisitively.

"Yep, he sure did. She was chasing a bad guy and the bad guy hurt her," she said referring to the time Gitano cut her throat in the train station. She looked over at Elliot as she continued, "but Elliot saved her life. He was her hero."

"Daddy saved you, Olivia?" Eli asked surprised.

"More than you know, Eli," she confessed to the five year old.

"Alright, partner. Time for you to go to sleep," Elliot said standing from the bed, leaning down to kiss his son before walking towards to doorway.

"Good night, Daddy. Good night, Livia," Eli said as he reached his arms out towards Olivia requesting a hug. She obliged.

"Good night, sweetheart," Olivia said squeezing him before retreating to the doorway with his father. They watched as the boy turned over and pulled his blanket up to his chin. They slowly exited the room and shut the door.

"Thanks, Liv," Elliot said to Olivia as they made their way to his bedroom just down the hallway.

"For what?" Olivia asked confused.

"For making me sound like a hero to Eli," he said they entered the bedroom. He walked over to his chest of drawers, opened it and withdrew a tshirt. He tossed it over to Olivia knowing she didn't have any pajamas with her. As he walked over to the bed, he pulled his shirt off and jeans before climbing into bed in just his briefs. Olivia disrobed down to her panties before slipping Elliot's tshirt on. She followed his lead and slipped under the sheets with him.

"You are a hero, El," she said as she leaned over to kiss him quickly on the lips. "You're my hero."

"This is why I love you," he said smiling as he placed his hand on the back of her head, slightly pulling her towards him. Once their noses were touching, he tilted his head and guided his lips to meet hers. Their kiss quickly turned passionate. He gently pushed her onto her back and sat on his knees between her thighs. He climbed on top of her slowly, holding himself up with his hands placed beside her ears on either side of her head. He lowered himself onto her and resumed their kiss. As their lips pressed together, Olivia closed her eyes and began opening her lips slightly. Elliot quickly followed suit. She allowed his tongue to dance alongside hers in her mouth before she moved her kisses to his cheek before nibbling on his neck. He moaned as she moved from his neck to his ear lobe before whispering "I love you" quietly to him.

As Olivia kept kissing his neck, her dominant side reared it's head again and she pushed Elliot down onto his back. She continued her kisses starting on his chest before slowly making her way down to his toned abdomen. Before she knew it, she was met with the elastic of his briefs. She slowly slid her fingers under the band and slid them down, exposing Elliot and his excitment to her. Once his legs were free from the restraint of the briefs, she resumed her kisses where she left off. She took him in her hand and began stroking him. He was determined not to climax as quickly tonight. He wanted to make this experience last as long as possible.

She paused momentarily, stood and pushed her panties down before stepping out of them. Elliot watched her closely as she climbed back on the bed. She patiently crawled up next to him before shooting him a deceiving smile. _What is she going to do to me tonight?_ Elliot thought to himself. He wasn't used to being dominated in any way when it came to the bedroom. Kathy was extremely plain in the sex department. Missionary was their usual position and it never varied far from that. He knew Olivia was going to take him places he wasn't use to, and that excited him even more.

Slowly, she sat up and removed the tshirt she had just put on. She tossed it to the end of the bed before raising onto her knees and looking at Elliot. "Wanna have a little fun, Detective?" she asked in a very sultry, seductive voice.

Before he had time to answer, she was standing up on the mattress looking down at him as she straddled him, allowing him to see all of her directly over his head. She slowly lowered herself directly above his face, stopping three or four inches from his nose. He could smell her sweet fragrance. He quickly reached up, wrapping his arms around her upper thighs and pulling her onto him. He proceeded to make love to her intimate areas as he kept his hold on her legs. She reached out and held on to his headboard for support as he kissed her most private places. The deeper he inserted his tongue, the less stable she became.

"Elliot," she managed to gasp as his tongue whirled circles underneath her. She tried to lift up a little for a second of relief from his sweet torture, but his grasp was so strong she had to endure through the urge.

Finally, he eased up on his hold which allowed her to raise up to her knees while he continued to lay between her legs. She quickly brought her left leg over his head to join her right leg. He sat up and motioned for her to move in front of him. She complied. He brought himself up to his knees while he tenderly urged her back to bend over until she was before him on her hands and knees. He slowly moved towards her as he graced her backside. Gently, he held onto her hips as he slid into her from behind and he let out a sigh of ecstasy. He wondered to himself if every sexual encounter they had would always be this sublime.

His thrusts quickly became more fast paced and rhythmic. He used his hands still placed on her hips for support as he motioned back and forth, in and out of her. He took in the sight of her in front of him: her sleek back, her mahogany colored hair swinging in rhythm with his movements, her toned hips moving against and then away from his. Sweat quickly formed above his brow and began running down his face. His skin had became flushed from the workout his body was enduring.

She could feel his strong hands holding onto her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh deeper each time he pulled her back into him. She could feel every inch of him inside of her as he thrust into her. She looked back over her shoulder and saw how red he had turned during the last few mintues of vigorous activity. He caught her glimpse and could see the seduction in her eyes. She was alluring and irresistible to him and she was enjoying this as much as he was. While he was still lost in her deep brown eyes, she flashed a coquettish grin just before she turned her head around as she felt her end nearing.

"El," she whispered trying to keep the noise to a minimum somehow remembering the sleeping child in the next room.

"You ready, Liv?" he asked not missing a beat in his motions.

"Yes, El. Yes," she said as they both reached their peaks simultaneously. He slowly managed to push into her two more times before collapsing beside her. Both of them laid there silently as they tried to find their breath in the hot air of the bedroom. Sweat drenched both of their bodies.

"We better shower," Olivia said quietly once she had regained enough strength to turn from stomach to her back. Elliot climbed up and grabbed her hands, helping her to a standing position before leading her into the bathroom off of his bedroom.

After their shower, they returned to the bedroom. Olivia replaced the tshirt Elliot had given her earlier and grabbed a pair of shorts from another drawer in the chest of drawers. Elliot fumbled through a different drawer before producing a pair of boxer shorts and putting them on. They climbed back into the bed they had just made intimate, passionate love in, but this time for some much needed rest. Elliot rested his head on his pillow as he pulled Olivia close to him. He didn't know how he'd ever sleep again if she wasn't beside him. Within ten minutes, they were both sleeping peacefully as a quiet, gentle storm rolled in and played a lullaby outside of their window.

"Livia. Livia," she heard a whisper as she was nudged gently. "Livia," she heard again. She opened her eyes to the darkness of Elliot's bedroom. "Livia."

"Eli?" she asked as she could faintly make out his shadow standing beside the bed. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked as she set up curious if he was okay.

"Livia, it's thundering outside. Can I... Can I sleep with you and Daddy?" he inquired with a very timid tone. She could tell he was frightened and needed comforting.

"Of course you can, Eli," she said as she scooted over away from Elliot and towards the edge of the bed, making room for Eli to lay between the two of them.

"Thanks, Livia," he said as he snuggled into her. She was hesitant before wrapping her arms around the young boy. She hadn't played the role of mother since Calvin, and even then, he was older than Eli. He didn't need the same type of comforting. But she was more than happy to accomodate his needs. She lowered her head down and softly whispered to him, "I love you, Eli."

"I love you, too, Livia," he responded and quickly drifted off to sleep in her safe embrace.

The next day went by too fast for Olivia. She was sad to see Eli leave to go back to Kathy's and she knew Elliot felt the same. One day a week with his son wasn't near enough, but it was all the court allowed him.

"Liv, you want to ride with me to take Eli home?" Elliot asked as he finished zipping up Eli's overnight bag that sat on the dining table.

"I think I'm going to take care of some unfinished business while you're gone," Olivia replied to Elliot while looking down at her phone. Unbeknownst to him, she had text Brian earlier asking if she could come get a few things from their apartment and attempt to explain things to him. He had just responded to her granting her permission to come over and speak with him.

"Liv, you sure that's something you want to do alone?" Elliot questioned her. He wasn't comfortable in the least with her going to see Brian alone. He knew she was a strong, independent woman but that didn't mean he didn't feel a need to protect her from all that he could.

"I can handle it, El," she said slightly offended at his previous comment. She walked towards where Eli sat on the couch, playing a game on his father's phone.

"Hey, Eli. I have to run a few errands while your daddy takes you home. But I'll see you next weekend, okay?" Olivia said kneeling in front of the boy sitting in front her.

"Okay, Livia. I'll miss you," he said sitting up and giving her a hug.

"I'll miss you, too, Eli," she said as she stood up and walked back towards Elliot.

"I'll call you after while," she said as she leaned in to give him a peck. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he said picking up Eli's bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He was not hiding the fact that he was irritated by her plans, but he knew he couldn't stop her. Once Olivia Benson set her mind to something, you could consider it done.

Once she arrived at her apartment, she realized how unfamiliar it all felt to her now. Elliot's apartment was now where her heart was; where she considered home. She felt like she was visiting an old acquaintance in the building where her name was currently on a lease. But she knew she didn't belong here anymore.

She made her way to the fifth floor and walked over to the door she had walked through so many times with Brian over the last couple of months. She proceeded to knock on the door, even though she held the key in her right hand.

Brian quickly came to the door. "You didn't use your key?" he asked as soon as he opened the door. He was still upset, understandingly.

"I just.. I didn't want to... I didn't know," she said searching for an explanation but nothing came. Brian moved from the doorway allowing her to enter their apartment. "Bri.." she continued but was cut off.

"Liv, just don't," he said walking towards the kitchen and picking up the beer he had been nursing before her arrival. He continued to drink it while she stood silently. "I understand," he said to her surprise.

"You do?" Olivia said walking towards where he was standing.

"Liv, I knew you loved Elliot. Hell, I could tell there were feelings between you two before I quit the Unit. But, I thought that maybe him leaving you haulted your feelings for him," he trailed off as he took another swig of his beer.

"Brian, I don't know what to say," she said looking down shamefully. She knew she had hurt him and she knew she had handled the entire situation incorrectly. "I should have talked to you. I shouldn't have lied."

"No, you shouldn't have lied to me, Liv. You know I hate liars," he said sitting his beer down and walking into their bedroom. He quickly reappeared producing a box from his left hand. "I just wanted you to know that I had bought this for you," he said handing the box to her.

She opened it and tears promptly permeated her eyes and streamed down her cheek. "It's beautiful, Brian," she muttered as she rubbed her nose with her free hand. Settled within the black box was an exquisite diamond ring. The face of the stone was square and large, at least two carats. Around the large stone was a row of smaller stones all centered on a silver band.

"I was going to ask you this weekend," he said as she handed the box back to him.

"Ask me?" she questionned not realizing his implication.

"To be my wife, Liv." Those words were like daggers to her heart. Marriage? She definitely did not see this coming. She was was dumbfounded and couldn't produce a word. They stood there silent in the kitchen of their apartment for a few moments before Brian finally broke the monotony of the silence. "Is there anything I can help you get?"

"Uh, no. I'm just, umm.." she struggled to maintain her composure. Being here in this apartment with Brian made her much less inimical to him. "I'm just going to get some clothes. I'll... I can come back while you're at work for the rest of my things," she said displaying penitence. She knew her actions were detrimental to her relationship with Brian, but she caught herself pondering the possibility that she was expeditious in rekindling her relationship with Elliot.

"That's fine. Just keep your key and come back whenever," he said watching her make her way to their bedroom.

She emerged a little later with two of her suitcases packed with her belongings. They had just moved in not that long ago, and here she was moving out again.

"Brian," she said placing the suitcases in front of the door that lead to the hallway.

He looked up at her from his place on the couch, not saying a word. She could tell there were tears in his eyes, which immediately brought tears to hers again. She walked over and sat beside him on the couch. Before she could say anything to comfort him, he spoke to her.

"Liv, I really do understand. I know you love him and I know you would never have loved me the way you do him," he said looking into her sad, tear filled eyes. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like a bitch."

"I am going to miss you, Brian," she said trying to convince him. "We had a lot of wonderful times together. You, you helped me in ways you don't even realize. Brian, when I was attacked, you were the reason I recovered. You were the one who I woke up for every day. You were the one who kept me going to therapy. It was you," she paused. "It was you who healed me. And for that, I will forever be grateful," she finished. It took every ounce of her strength to say those words. Feelings that she didn't want to feel resurfaced. She didn't want to remember the way she felt when she moved into Brian's apartment while her apartment was still an active crime scene. She didn't want to feel the feelings of Lewis burning her again. She didn't want to recall the face of woman he raped in front of her. She realized Brian knew things about her that no one else did. Elliot wasn't the only one who knew her deepest, darkest secrets.

"Let me help you take those to your car," he said referring to the suitcases in front of the door.

"Brian," she said as they both stood up from the couch. She walked over towards him and wrapped her arms around him. He eventually gave in and returned her embrace. "I am so, so sorry," she said as her head leaned against his chest.

Once her bags were packed into her car and Brian had returned to what use to be their apartment, Olivia sat alone listening to the radio quietly playing around her. She leaned her head down until it was resting on the steering wheel and her tears began flowing from her eyes freely. She didn't try to stop them.

After a few minutes of relentless sobbing, her phone alerted her of an incoming message. She unlocked the phone with one hand while wiping away tears with the other.

_Everything okay? -El_

She smiled seeing Elliot checking up on her, but she still felt tremendous guilt knowing Brian was alone in what use to be their shared apartment.

_Heading back now._

She took her car out of park and began the short drive to Elliot's apartment. Her apartment. Their apartment?

When she arrived at her destination, she noticed Elliot's car wasn't there. She was somewhat relieved to have a few moments to unpack her things before he returned. As she grabbed her suitcases out of her trunk, she retrieved the key Elliot had given her earlier that morning and made her way to the front door. She unlocked the door and walked the short distance down the narrow hallway to Elliot's apartment. Once inside, everything was as she had left it just a couple hours earlier. She noticed Eli's blanket on the arm of the couch as she walked by. The thought of that sweet boy made her smile. She really was going to miss him this week.

As she made her way into his.. their bedroom, she noticed the small pile of laundry still laying in the middle of the floor. "I guess I need to clean this up," she said softly to herself as she walked over and picked the clothes up. She walked over to the hamper situated beside the chest of drawers and placed the clothes inside. She continued to Elliot's nightstand and switched on the radio to drown out the silence. Many the Miles by Sara Bareilles sifted through the speakers filling the bedroom with the upbeat tempo. She caught herself singing along as she placed her clothes on hangers and hung them in their now shared closet.

_"How far do I have to go to get to you? Many the miles.. Many the miles.._" she sang outloud as she reentered the bedroom from the closet. She was quickly quieted by Elliot standing in the bedroom enjoying the concert.

"I didn't know you sang, Detective Benson," he said playfully as he walked over to her emerging from the closet.

"Yeah, I usually charge for these concerts, Stabler," she joked with him as she was swept up in his arms. He gently kissed her before laying her on the bed. He positioned himself on the bed beside her and propped his head up with his arm.

"So, are you okay?" he asked referring to her trip to Brian's apartment.

"I'll be alright," she said. "It was harder than I thought it would be. But, I know I made the right choice," she said to ease his mind. Truthfully, she had no idea what she was doing at that point in time. She was more confused than she had ever been. She loved Elliot though and that was the one thing she knew without any uncertainty.

"Eli talked about you the entire drive home," Elliot said trying to lighten her mood. "Kathy should enjoy that for the rest of the week," he laughed to himself.

"He's a great kid, El," she said staring at the ceiling fan as it made repeated rotations above their heads. "I can't wait to see him again."

"Me either. Sundays are the hardest days for me," he said also staring at the ceiling fan. "Usually I'm alone after I take him home, though."

Alone. Brian was alone right now. The guilt began to overtake her body again. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and she reached up to wipe it away. Elliot noticed her movements and turned over to investigate.

"Liv? What's wrong," he asked concerned.

"It's nothing, El," she said trying to satisfy him to no avail.

"I can tell something is really bothering you, Liv," Elliot said quietly. "Talk to me."

"Oh, El. I wasn't prepared to feel this amount of guilt," Olivia reluctantly gave in to Elliot's request. "He was going to propse to me," she continued while staring at the ceiling, still laying on her back on their bed.

"What?" Elliot said shocked. "How do you know that?"

"He showed me the ring before I left," she answered his question not moving her focus from the white, textured ceiling. "I never expected that type of commitment from him. We hadn't even said we loved each other yet."

"Liv," Elliot started searching for words to comfort her but still hide his growing aggravation at the situation. Before he realized what he was saying, he blurted out a sentence that he instantly regretted saying. "Is he the one you want to be with?"

Olivia's stare immediately changed from the ceiling to Elliot. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she sat up quickly on the bed. "No, Elliot. No," she said without hesitation. "I just can't believe he was going to propose to me. I... I've never had somebody want to make that type of commitment to me."

"Listen to me, Olivia," Elliot said as he moved from laying on the bed beside where she had been laying to kneeling in front of her on the floor. "I want to wake up with you every morning. I don't want a night to go by that you're not in my arms anymore. Olivia Benson, I'm in love with you and I don't ever want to lose you again. I don't have a ring to give you right now, but I have my heart. I love you," he said as a single tear fell down his cheek as he realized how long he had held those words inside.

The weight on Olivia's shoulders quickly began to fade as she realized her relationship with Elliot was just as important to him as it was to her. She had dreamed so many times over the last decade of how he would profess his love to her. His submission right then surpassed anything she had ever conjured up in her mind.

"I love you, too El," she said as she felt tears begin to stream from her eyes as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Monday morning arrived quicker than Elliot or Olivia wanted. The buzzing from Elliot's alarm clock woke them as the morning sun began to shine through the single window in their bedroom.

"Five more minutes," Olivia grumbled as she pulled the white duvet over her head as Elliot reached to silence the annoying buzzing sound. "Five more minutes," she repeated from under the blanket.

"I'll go start the coffee," Elliot said groggily trying to shake the sleep from his head. He usually hated Mondays with great passion, but he found it hard to hate anything with Olivia there. He smiled as he thought back to the night before and how they fell asleep in each other's arms. He knew he had missed companionship, but with Olivia, it was much more than just that.

Once the coffee was prepared, he filled up two mugs and returned to the bedroom. Olivia was still huddled under the duvet. Elliot placed both mugs on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed beside the lump of blanket located near the center.

"Liv," he said quietly as he began to nudge her gently. "Liv."

She mumbled from under the blanket as he was moving her. He smiled as he found it very comical. "Liv, I feel like I'm waking up one of my kids," he said laughing out loud as he pulled the blanket back, exposing her eyes to the bright morning sun.

"El!" she shouted as she reached for the blanket to pull it back over her eyes. Elliot pulled the blanket out of her reach before tossing it into the floor. "Elliot Stabler!" she said irritated with his laughter.

"Come on baby. You're going to be late for work. I brought you coffee," he said handing her a mug from the nightstand.

She finally forfeited any effort to sleep longer and sat up in the bed beside him as she grabbed the coffee from his hand. She took a small sip as the heat permeated from inside the brown coffee cup. As she finished her drink, she noticed Elliot staring at her with a very boyish smile. "What?" she questioned with a smile spreading across her sleepy face.

"This is perfect," Elliot said still smiling at her as he reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You're so beautiful."

"Oh, El," she said laughing. "Thank you but I highly doubt I look very attractive right now," she continued as she rubbed her eye with her free hand. She glanced over at the clock realizing it was later than she thought. "Damn it," she said hopping out of the bed and scurring to the bathroom.

"I told you it was getting late!" Elliot shouted with more laughter. He walked into the bathroom to join her as she turned the shower on and snuck behind the curtain. Elliot slipped his briefs off and joined her.

After they were both showered and ready for their individual work weeks, they gathered their keys and phones before exiting the apartment.

"I'll see you after work," Elliot said as he kissed Olivia before opening her car door for her. "Love you."

"Love you too, El," she said as she lowered herself into the driver's seat of her car. She could get use to starting her days like this.

The drive to the one six was quick and uneventful. She smiled as she remembered her weekend with Elliot and Eli. She was getting an instant family and she loved that idea. As she walked into the precinct, the smile must have still been plastered on her face as Fin and Amanda took immediate notice.

"Have a good weekend?" Rollins asked as Olivia walked over to her desk and sat down her keys and phone before putting her purse into her desk drawer.

"You could say that," Olivia said smiling at her fellow female colleague.

"Cassidy must have been a good boy," Fin said sarcastically. Amanda shot a quick glance to her and Olivia's expression instantly changed and her smile faded. Fin noticed and returned a questioning glance towards her.

"Actually, Brian and I aren't living together anymore, Fin," Olivia said quietly as the three detectives huddled around his desk. "Things just weren't working out."

"Sorry, Liv. I didn't know," Fin said taking his seat behind his desk as Cragen walked up to the threesome.

"Benson and Rollins. I need you two to go visit Paige Bishop's mother again. We have a witness that puts her with the mom's boyfriend in Hell's Kitchen the night before her disappearance. See what's going on," Cragen commanded of the two female detectives. "Fin, I need you to find the mom's boyfriend and get his statement," he concluded before walking back towards his office across the bullpen.

"Got it, Cap," Fin said before turning back to Olivia and Amanda. "I'm sorry, Liv," he apologized again before standing and reaching for his car keys across his desk.

"It's okay, Fin. Rollins, you ready?" Oliva said grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair

"Yep," Amanda replied as they both walked towards the elevator.

The drive to Paige Bishop's mother's brownstone on 84th Street in the Upper East Side took longer than usual due to a traffic accident. As the two female detectives sat patiently in the car, Amanda could no longer avoid the question that had been haunting her mind since Olivia revealed her separation with Brian Cassidy.

"Hey, Liv. I gotta ask," Amanda started her statement to Olivia. She was not known for subtlety or delicacy. "Did the phone call I overheard the other night have anything to do with you and Brian splitting up?"

Olivia wasn't exactly surprised by Amanda's question. She knew she couldn't avoid the situation forever and she would eventually have to confess to her relationship with Elliot.

"Yeah," Olivia said quietly. "I realized my heart was still with Elliot. Even after all this time."

"Do you trust him? I mean, I know he was your partner but he left you," Amanda asked without missing a beat. It was obvious Amanda didn't trust Elliot and she had never met him.

"I do, Rollins. Maybe I'm stupid for it, but I do," Olivia said as traffic began to pick up.

"I hope he doesn't hurt you again," Amanda said looking across the front seat to Olivia. "You've had enough heartache lately."

Olivia shot her a quick smile before continuing the drive in silence. _Elliot wouldn't hurt me again, would he? _She tried to clear her head of any negative thoughts about Elliot. They finally had the opportunity to have a wonderful life together and she was bound and determined to see this relationship through.

As they continued their drive to the Upper East Side, Olivia's phone began ringing. She picked up the phone and glanced at the Caller ID, not recognizing the number. "Benson," she said as she answered the call.

"Olivia?" the female voice said from the other end of the call.

"Yes?" Olivia questioned the caller. She knew she recognized the voice but couldn't place who it belonged to.

"It's Kathy," she heard and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh. Hi, Kathy," Olivia said trying to disguise her shock and frustration.

"Olivia, do you think we could meet for coffee this afternoon?" Kathy inquired puzzling Olivia. What could they possibly need to discuss? Her divorce from Elliot was finalized over two years ago. "I need to speak with you about Elliot."

_What the hell could she need to say to me about Elliot?_ Olivia thought to herself.

"Uh, sure Kathy. I'll call you when I can get free," Olivia answered confused. Amanda noticed the tension in Olivia's voice as she hung up the phone.

"Everything okay, Liv?" Amanda asked.

"That was Elliot's ex-wife," Olivia said with a shocked expression still spilled across her face. "She wants to meet for coffee."

"That doesn't sound good," Amanda said as Olivia pulled the car up to the home of Paige Bishop's mother, Leslie.

The two detectives emerged from the car and began walking towards the front door of Leslie Bishop's brownstone. The door was quickly answered and the detectives were invited inside to ask their questions.

"Can I get either of you a coffee or a tea?" Leslie Bishop asked cordially as the two detectives took a seat in her living room.

"No, thank you ma'am," Rollins started. "We need to ask you a few questions about your boyfriend, Alexander Chase."

"Alex? What does he have to do with Paige's case?" Leslie questioned Amanda.

"Ma'am, did you ever notice anything odd about Alexander's relationship with your daughter," Amanda continued her questioning.

"What are you implying, Detective?" Leslie asked with apparent growing frustration at Amanda's implications of her boyfriend.

"How long have you known Mr. Chase?" Olivia interrupted.

"Uh, we... We met last year in Queens at a fundraiser my employer was hosting," Leslie answered.

"Queens. Is that where he's from?" Amanda asked.

"Yes. His apartment is there. He, he grew up there. Lived there his entire life," Leslie responded confused. "What does this have to do with Paige?"

"Just routine protocol. We have to eliminate everyone," Olivia answered her inquiry. "Do you have his address by any chance?"

"No, I don't. He always just comes here," Leslie answered. "Look, I have to take my other daughter to a doctor's appointment. Can we continue this at a later time?"

"Sure, ma'am. Thank you for your time," Amanda said as Leslie opened the door, ushering them out. "She's hiding something," she said as they walked towards the car.

After her work day was complete, Olivia sat in her car contemplating calling Kathy like she had promised. Meeting Kathy was the last thing Olivia wanted to do, but she was also intrigued by what she could possibly want to discuss with her. She forced herself to dial Kathy's number and hit Call. Kathy picked up after the second ring.

"Olivia," Kathy answered obviously recognizing her number. She probably still had it memorized as her number hadn't changed.

"Hi, Kathy. Do you want to meet up for that coffee now?" Olivia asked into the phone.

"Sounds great. I'm in Manhattan so I can meet you at the diner by your precinct," Kathy said to Olivia, knowing her ex-husband use to frequent the restaurant with his ex-partner.

"I'll meet you there," Olivia said hanging up her phone.

Once Olivia arrived at the all familiar diner, she went inside and got the duo a booth located on the opposite side of the building of where she use to sit with Elliot. Kathy arrived ten minutes after her and immediately noticed Olivia nursing a cup of coffee across the room. As she made her way towards the booth, Olivia's stomach began knotting up as she dreaded the impending conversation.

"Thank you for meeting me, Olivia," Kathy said as she slid into the opposite side of the booth.

"What can I do for you?" Olivia asked getting directly to the point. She wasn't there to make small talk with her lover's ex-wife.

"I need to talk to you about Elliot," she said staring directly into Olivia's brown eyes.

"What about Elliot?" Olivia questioned immediately.

"Olivia, he's not the same man he was three years ago. He's been through a lot," Kathy started as she took a sip from her glass of water the waitress had just dropped off.

"I know, Kathy. We've talked about..." Olivia started but was quickly cut off.

"Look, Olivia. I'm not going to lie to you. Elliot doesn't know what he wants right now. He's still confused and sorting things out. Don't expect stability and commitment out of him," Kathy said as she seemed to take pride in ruining Olivia's dreams. She had always been jealous of Olivia's relationship with Elliot and it was apparent that she still held that grudge.

"Kathy," Olivia said as she stood from the booth. "I think this was a mistake."

"I'm just warning you, Olivia. He may say he loves you and wants to spend eternity with you, but don't read too much into it," Kathy said taking another sip of water. "It wasn't that long ago that he was trying to rekindle our relationship."

Olivia turned from Kathy and proceeded to walk out of the diner. She climbed into her car and drove out of the parking lot and towards Elliot's apartment. She couldn't get Kathy's words out of her head and knew Kathy's only intention during their meeting was to make Olivia question her relationship with Elliot. _If she can't have him, she doesn't want anybody to. Especially me._

When Olivia returned to the apartment, she noticed Elliot had beat her there. She hadn't told Elliot that she had planned on meeting his ex-wife and wondered if she should tell him now. She wanted to question him about Kathy's claims, but didn't want to resurrect such a sore subject.

As she opened the door to the apartment, she saw Elliot had fallen asleep on the couch watching ESPN again covered with Eli's blanket. She quietly closed the door and began walking towards the dining table to place her purse and car keys. As she approached the table, she saw a single rose with a note attached. _I love you_. She smiled as she read those words and placed the card and flower back on the table before walking towards where Elliot slept.

"I love you, too," she whispered to Elliot as she kissed his cheek. He awoke at the sensation of her soft lips upon his cheek. He smiled as soon as his ice blue eyes met her deep brown stare.

As he sat up beside her on the light gray couch, he glanced at his watch. "Did you have to work late?" he questioned noting the time.

"No, actually I wanted to talk to you about that, El," Olivia said realizing she had to account for her whereabouts and didn't want to get caught up lying as she had to Brian. "Kathy called me earlier today and wanted to meet for coffee."

"What?" Elliot said showing frustration and confusion. "She called you?" he continued standing up and pulling out his phone to call his ex-wife.

"Elliot, wait," Olivia said taking the phone from him. "Wait just a minute."

"What did she want?" he asked curiously.

"El... I think she just wanted to make me doubt our relationship," Olivia said as Elliot paced across the living room floor while rubbing his neck.

"I.. I'm gonna kill her," Elliot mumbled, his temper dancing on the edge.

"Elliot, baby, don't worry about it. As soon as I realized her intentions, I left," Olivia said walking over to him in an attempt to calm him down. "Come on, baby. Don't worry about it."

"Liv," he said under his breath before relishing into her arms and laying his head on her shoulder. "I just want to be happy with you. It's all I've ever wanted."

"I know that. And she knows that," Olivia said pulling away from him to stare into his eyes. "Elliot, let it go," she said before cupping his face into her hands and pulling him closer to her. She gently placed a kiss on his lips before saying to him "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said before returning back to their kiss. Before he was aware of his actions, he had her pushed against the wall as their lips locked together and their tongues tangled around each other. His hand was massaging her breast as she began undoing his tie before throwing it on the floor beside them. With one swift motion, he had her black shirt off as she fought the buttons of his white dress shirt.

"I need you, El," she whispered to him as he nipped at her neck. "I need you inside me."

He quickly had his belt unbuckled and proceeded to take his pants off as she mimicked his movements. He pushed his briefs down before pinning her against the wall again. As he kissed her, he pushed her panties down and she aided in his efforts as she stepped out of them. He reached behind her and unfastened her bra, allowing it to fall off her chest onto the floor. He grabbed her leg under the knee and cradled it in his arm as he pushed himself into her. She gasped at his deep thrust as she took in his full length.

"Oh, Liv," he said as his movements became quicker and deeper than either realized possible. He steadied himself with one arm against the wall as the other continued massaging her breast.

Olivia took great enjoyment in feeling Elliot inside of her. Her mind trailed back to all the times she had fantasized about him over the years of their partnership. She remembered the times he had cradled her, comforted her on the job - like the Gitano incident or when Sonya had been killed.

"Liv," his voice interrupted her thoughts. "Liv," he said as he expelled inside of her.

She could feel his warm fluid fill her up as he looked deep into her eyes. She reached her climax in sync with him as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Will it always be this amazing?" Olivia asked quietly as she rested her head on his chest, still pinned between him and the wall.

"I think so," Elliot responded kissing the top of her head. "I think so," he repeated with a smile.

The next few months flew by without hesitation. Olivia still was keeping her relationship with Elliot from everyone at the one six except for Amanda, although the topic hadn't been discussed since before the Paige Bishop case trailed cold months before.

Olivia and Elliot had settled into a routine that both of them enjoyed. They would work their designated shifts, return home most nights for dinner unless it was a special occasion and they went out, and on the weekends they were joined with Eli. Their relationship was in full bloom and the sex couldn't have been any better. Everything was perfect, which made Olivia worried. Her life never sailed this smoothly for long before something sent it crashing down in a whirlwind.

"Elliot, don't forget to pick up Eli's cake on your way home tonight," Olivia shouted from the bathroom to Elliot as he tied his gray tie that accented his eyes perfectly.

"I won't," he said enterring the bathroom and wrapping his arms around her as she finished putting her mascara on. "You have no faith in me," he said jokingly as he kissed her neck from behind.

"El," she said turning around to face him. "I just want Eli's birthday to be perfect." She smiled at him as their lips met for a quick kiss.

"I know," he said returning her smile. "And it will be."

"What time did you tell your mother that we'd be there tomorrow?" Olivia asked turning back towards the mirror and resuming her mascara application.

"I told her around noon," he answered, his voice trailing off as he walked back into their bedroom.

"What about Dickie and Lizzie?" she asked as she placed the mascara wand back into the tube and twisted it shut before placing it back into her makeup bag.

"Dickie is coming over tonight and Lizzie will meet us at Kathy's tomorrow when we pick up Eli," Elliot answered as Olivia joined him in their bedroom.

Dickie had spent a few nights at their apartment since Olivia moved in. She always enjoyed spending time with any of the Stabler children. They all respected her and looked past their mother's resentment.

"I hate that Kathleen and Maureen can't join us," Olivia said as she grabbed her shoes out of their closet before sitting on the bed to put them on.

"I know, but they promised they'd be down for Thanksgiving," Elliot said joining her on the bed to tie his shoes. Once both of their shoes were on, they sat side by side on the bed staring at each other. "Will this feeling ever get old?" he asked her referring to the infinite butterflies she caused to flutter inside of him.

"I hope not," she said leaning towards him as she graced his lips with hers.

The rest of that Friday was nothing out of the ordinary for the two detectives. Elliot sifted through paperwork pertaining to cold cases in Queens and Olivia completed her DD5s in Manhattan on a recent case she had just solved with Nick.

"Got any plans for this weekend?" Amanda asked Olivia as both of them broke from their afternoon grind to retrieve a cup of coffee.

"Elliot's youngest son's birthday is tomorrow. We're heading up to his mother's beach house for a small party," Olivia said stirring her coffee.

"That sounds great, Liv. I'm glad things are working out for you. Have you considered telling the rest of the squad?" Amanda inquired while pouring coffee into her navy blue mug with NYPD written on it in gray.

"I will when the time is right," Olivia said turning to face Amanda. "I don't want to jump the gun again."

"I don't blame ya," Amanda said quietly as she turned to walk back to her desk.

The next morning came quick and Olivia was grateful for it's fast approach. She always looked forward to picking Eli up, but was more excited than usual this weekend. She awoke before Elliot and slipped out from under his hold as she made her way into the kitchen to start the coffee. As soon as she made her way through the doorway, she was overwhelmed with nausea. She quickly ran into the master bathroom and expelled anything that was in her stomach. Elliot was immediately jolted from his light sleep as he heard Olivia's heaving from inside the next room.

"Liv, are you okay?" he said making his way to her as she knelt in front of the porcelain bowl.

"I just felt really sick all of..." she started before another bout of nausea overtook her body and she continued her expulsion of anything still remaining in her seemingly empty stomach. Elliot reached over without hesitation and held her hair back as she hunkered over the toilet.

"Liv, you need to get back in bed, baby," he said as she finished her second round of vomitting.

"I can't, El. It's Eli's birthday and I'm not going to let him down," she said slowly standing up as she flushed the toilet. "I'm feeling better already," she lied forcing a smile on her face as she made her way over to the sink and grabbed her toothbrush.

"Liv," Elliot started before she cut him off.

"Don't, Elliot. I'm going," she said sternly and he knew any effort to convince her otherwise would be null.

As Olivia continued to get ready slowly, Elliot prepared a piece of toast for her while Dickie prepared himself a bowl of cereal. He took the toast to her as she slipped into her favorite pair of jeans and her gray sweater. "Thanks, El," she said appreciating his effort to calm her stomach even though eating was the last thing on her to do list at that moment. "With the way these jeans are fitting, I don't think I need to eat for a week!" she said frustrated as she tried to button her jeans that usually fit with a little slack.

"Liv," Elliot said with a concerned tone in his voice. This was like deja vu to him. "When was your last period?"

"What?" Olivia said taking a second to realize his implication. "No, Elliot," she said strictly.

"When was it, Liv?" he prodded her.

"I..." she started trying to recall when her last menstrual cycle was. "I don't know, El," she said defeated.

"I'm going to run down to the bodega on the corner while you finish getting ready," Elliot said pulling a hooded sweatshirt over his head as he walked out of the room before Olivia could argue with him.

"Dad, is everything okay?" Dickie asked as he continued eating his cereal at the dining table.

"Liv is just feeling a little sick. I'm going to get her some medicine. I'll be back," he said as he grabbed his car keys and exited the apartment.

While Elliot was gone, she finished her hair and makeup and nibbled on the toast he had earlier prepared for her. When he returned, he had a small bag in tow with a visible white and pink box in it. He reached into the bag retrieving a box of pregnancy tests and handed it to her.

"Here," he said perturbed.

"El," Olivia began.

"Liv, I'm not going to argue about this. Please," he said with a rigid tone in his voice. Olivia sensed his unyielding judgment and complied with his wishes.

She took the box from his hand and made her way into the master bathroom. It took a few moments for her to expell any liquid from her body, but she finally released enough for the test to register. She sat the narrow white stick on the bathroom counter and walked into the bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed pondering what her course of action would be if the test was positive. _What about Elliot?_ she thought to herself. He was already the father of five children. _Six children._ The thought plagued her.

Elliot entered the bedroom impeding her thoughts. He could sense her anxiety and knew he had to ease her mind. "Liv," he said walking over to his nightstand and retrieving a small box from the top drawer. She never took her focus off of her twirling thumbs resting in her lap. He walked over to where she was sitting and knelt in front of her.

"Liv," he repeated as she slowly moved her glance from her lap to his stare. He noticed a tear roll down her cheek and he could tell she was terrified with the possibility of becoming a mother. She didn't have to voice her concerns to him as he already knew every thought running through her mind. "Don't be afraid. Whatever happens, we will experience it together," he said as he produced the small box he had been hiding in his hands. He continued, "Liv, I was going to wait until we were at my mom's this afternoon to do this, but I want you to know that regardless of what that test says, I want you to be mine for the rest of my life. Olivia Benson, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and be my wife?"

By this point, Olivia was bawling and she tried to find a breath. Her hands were trembling as she reached out to touch Elliot's face and bring him closer to her shaking body. As tears streamed like a river down her cheeks, his lips graced hers quickly and she began to nod her head.

"Yes," she said with a slight chuckle. She couldn't believe he was before her with a ring, a beautiful ring, asking her to spend eternity with him. She couldn't halt the tears as the continued to fall as he slipped the ring on her finger. The ring was perfect; a one and a half carat solitaire princess cut centered on a silver band.

"I think the three minutes are up," Elliot said with a smile. Olivia stood from the bed and interlocked her fingers with his as the walked towards the bathroom.

"You look," she said covering her eyes as they walked through the doorway.

As he looked down upon the small stick, silence overtook him. That small, white, narrow stick told their future to him in that brief glance. "Open your eyes, baby," he finally managed to squeak out. He felt tears begin to sting his eyes as he was overwhelmed with emotions.

"I.. I'm scared, El," she said still covering her eyes.

As he gained his composure realizing he was going to have to be strong for the both of them, he pulled her hand down and her eyes quickly darted to the test sitting on the corner of the bathroom vanity. _Two lines._ All the breath quickly escaped from her body and she felt light headed. Those two lines defined her future. _Motherhood._

"I guess we have another present to give Eli for his birthday," Elliot said still holding Olivia's hand. He hadn't realized until he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that he had a grin plastered onto his face. He was happy. Elated. Ecstatic. He couldn't wait to start a family with Olivia, to give her the one thing he knew she had always longed for more than anything. A baby. _Their_ baby.

The drive to Kathy's home in Queens was quiet. Olivia would catch herself rubbing her stomach intrigued by the tiny life growing inside of her. Elliot would notice her subtle movements and couldn't help but smile. Dickie finally chimed in and broke the peaceful silence.

"Congratulations, Liv."

Elliot and Olivia both looked at each other puzzled at his oldest son's statement. "What?" they said in unison.

"Oh come on guys. Liv is sick, you both have ridiculous grins on your face, nobody is saying a word.. I can put the puzzle together," Dickie said with laughter.

"Don't say a word to your sisters, Dickie," Elliot commanded. "I think we should wait and tell everyone at once on Thanksgiving."

"Your secret's safe with me," Dickie answered still laughing.

Elliot pulled the car over in front of Kathy's home. Eli was already standing outside with Lizzie waiting for them to arrive. Elliot and Olivia retreated from the car to greet them. Eli immediately ran to Olivia and hugged her as if he hadn't seen her in years. "Happy birthday, Eli!" Olivia said as she returned his hug.

"Happy birthday, champ," Elliot said walking towards Eli and scooping him up into a hug before carrying him to the car.

"Hey, Liv," Lizzie said as she walked towards Olivia giving her a quick hug before taking her seat in the back of her father's car.

Once the family was loaded into the car, Elliot began the two hour drive to his mother's beach house. The drive seemed to fly by as Eli told stories about his kindergarten class to the other passengers in the car.

As he put the car in park in the driveway of his mother's home, the children filed out of the back of the sedan before either adult could open their door. Elliot's mother, Bernadette, was there to greet them with open arms.

"Grammy!" Eli yelled as he ran up to his grandmother. "It's my birthday!" he announced.

"I know it, Eli!" Bernie said as she ushered the children into her home to shield them from the brisk November air.

Elliot and Olivia gathered Eli's cake and gifts from the trunk of the car before walking side by side up the concrete steps towards Bernie's front door. "I love you, Liv," Elliot said before opening the door for her to enter. She leaned over and kissed him quickly before walking into Bernie's home.

The small, intimate party for Eli went off without a hitch. He received every gift he had wished for and then some along with being allowed two pieces of cake. Dickie and Lizzie had retreated into the living room to watch television with Eli as the three adults continued to reminisce on the past six years of his life. Olivia remembered the day he was born, and how terrified she was for the unborn child when she was in the traffic accident with Kathy on the way to her obstetric appointment. _What if something happens to your baby?_ Olivia thought to herself. It was in that moment that she realized every decision she made from that moment on would directly effect the life she was carrying. A feeling of uneasiness over took her emotions.


	8. Chapter 8

The trip from Bernie's home to their apartment was quick with the night's traffic. It was after ten before they pulled into their parking space outside of their building. Eli had fallen asleep while Dickie and Lizzie each messed with their iPhones. Once the car was in park, Dickie and Lizzie aided Olivia in retrieving Eli's gifts from the trunk of the car while Elliot carried Eli inside.

"I'm going to go on to bed," Lizzie said as she set down the gift bag she had been carrying on the dining table. "Good night," she finished as she retreated to the bedroom door located across from Eli's.

"Good night, Lizzie," Olivia said smiling while she unpacked all of Eli's gifts. She created two seperate piles - one being things to stay at their apartment and the other being things to take with him back to his mother's.

Dickie sat on the couch and turned the television on as Elliot reappeared after tucking Eli into bed. "Hey Dad, want to watch a movie?" Dickie asked as Elliot sat down beside him on the couch.

"Sure. Liv, want to join us?" he said looking behind him at Olivia sorting through Eli's things.

"I think I'm going to go on to bed. I'm exhausted," she answered with a smile. She enjoyed seeing Elliot spend time with any of his children. She hoped he would love their child as much as he loved his other children.

"Okay, baby," Elliot said turning to face the television again. "I love you."

"Love you," Olivia said as she began walking towards their bedroom.

Once she was dressed in her pajamas, she crawled into bed and laid there trying to calm the thoughts running wild in her head. _You have to tell Captain that you're pregnant._ Yes, yes I do. Sooner rather than later. I can't be in the field and risk my baby's wellbeing. _You need to tell the squad you're engaged to Elliot._ Yes, they will wonder where the ring came from. _You're going to be a mother._

The last thought terrified her, yet excited her beyond belief. She had longed for a baby for as long as she could remember, but was she finally ready? She knew her biological clock was ticking and she was probably lucky to still be able to conceive.

Before she could worry any longer, exhaustion overtook her body and she slipped into a peaceful sleep. Morning seemed to come too quick. She noticed it was oddly quiet in the apartment and immediately sat up. She glanced over at the clock and noticed it was after ten in the morning. She never slept that late, she must have been more exhausted than she realized.

Once she was out of bed and made her way into the kitchen, she saw a note for her lying on the kitchen bar. _Liv - I took the kids home. Didn't want to wake you. I love you, El._ She hated that she didn't see the kids before they left, but she greatly appreciated Elliot letting her rest. Her nausea had returned and she wanted to go back to bed. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and a few Saltines before retreating back to her bedroom. She switched on the radio on Elliot's nightstand as she nibbled on her first cracker. She made her way to her side of the bed and reclaimed her place in it. Before she knew what was happening, she drifted back into sleep once again. Her body was physically exhausted and she hadn't done anything but sleep.

When Elliot returned home, he noticed the box of crackers left on the counter. _Morning sickness, _he thought to himself as he placed the box back into the cabinet. He quietly made his way into the bedroom and noticed Olivia sleeping in their bed. She was so beautiful as she laid there with the rays of light from the afternoon sun shining onto her olive skin. She looked so peaceful. He kicked his shoes off and carefully climbed into bed beside her. He stroked her face with the back of his fingers while leaning down to kiss her forehead. She responded to his kiss by snuggling into his body unconsiously. He laid there, not making a move once she became comfortable, as not to wake her. Slowly, he succumbed to sleep as well and they napped their Sunday afternoon away together.

Olivia woke and noticed immediately the darkness surrounding her. She felt Elliot's arms wrapped around her. She slowly emerged from his arms as she looked at the clock on the nightstand. 7:49 PM. _Holy shit,_ she thought to herself. She hadn't slept through an entire day since she had the flu and was framed for murder at the same time. Elliot must have felt her movements as he slowly woke as well.

"Hey baby," he said groggily. "Feeling any better?"

"Maybe a little," she said cuddling back into his arms. "I feel like I could fall right back to sleep, El."

"Let's get you something to eat first," he said pulling his arm out from under her as he began to sit up on the edge of the bed.

"I don't want to eat," she said staring through the darkness towards his shadow.

"You have to eat, Liv. Our baby needs food," he said as he felt a smile spread across his face. "How about some soup?"

"Sure," she said defeated. She knew she had to eat - if not for her sake, definitely for her baby's.

After she forced the soup down, she sat at the kitchen bar as Elliot cleaned her bowl and spoon for her. She continued to nibble on another Saltine while watching Elliot move around the kitchen.

"Hey, Liv," Elliot said while wiping down the counter tops with a cloth. "Have you given any thought to when you want to get married?"

"Not really, El. I mean, we've only been engaged for 36 hours," she answered with a small laugh.

"I know. But do you think you'll want to get married before the baby comes?" he asked as he stopped cleaning the kitchen and focusing all of his attention onto Olivia.

Olivia thought for a second before replying. "I think that would be a good idea."

"Great. Me too," Elliot said smiling at her sitting across the kitchen bar. "Where do you want to get married?"

Olivia just stared at him. She had never thought of a wedding location. It would be too cold for the next couple months to do anything outside. "I.. I have no idea, El."

"We have a little time to think about it," he said with a reassuring smile on his face. "You should probably call the doctor and schedule an appointment tomorrow, though. It's important we stay on top of things with this pregnancy since..." his voice trailed off as he realized what he was about to say.

"Since I'm over forty, El?" she questioned him. "I've thought about it."

"I'm sorry, Liv," he said as he walked around the kitchen bar and towards Olivia. "I just want our baby to be as healthy as possible," he said taking her hands into his as he stared into her eyes.

"I know, El. I do too," she said staring back at him. "I'm going to call Dr. Taytem first thing in the morning."

"Dr. Taytem?" he questioned her.

"Yes. She's my doctor. She specializes in pregnancies in women over forty," Olivia said reassuring Elliot that her doctor was capable of handling the wellbeing of their unborn child.

"If you trust her, I trust her," he said as he kissed her lips. Her body instantly responded as she stood from her barstool and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"El," she whimpered to him as his hand made it's way up her tshirt and to her breast. "I need you, El."

With that, he scooped her up and took her into their bedroom. He gently laid her on their bed and began to undress her and then himself. He slowly slid between her legs and gently eased into her. Their sex was easy and full of love that night. It wasn't about the end result, but about the process. They took their time and relished in every minute of their passion. Their lips seemed to never separate as their kisses were long and electrifying. She felt his fingertips gently slide over her stomach and upwards to her breast as she reached her climax. Elliot could feel her tightening around him and immediately followed suit. After they made love, they fell asleep in each other's arms and Elliot still inside of her.

Surprisingly, Olivia and Elliot both slept the entire night through without waking. When Elliot's alarm began buzzing at it's normal time, they finally untangled from each other and he reached to turn the alarm off. They both slowly climbed out of bed. Elliot went to the kitchen to start the coffee pot and Olivia went straight to the shower. Once he had the coffee pot prepared, he joined her in the shower as he did every morning. Olivia only had one bout of morning sickness that morning and she couldn't have been more happy. The last thing she wanted to do at work was be forced to run to the restroom every ten minutes.

"El," Olivia said as she finished getting dressed.

"Yes, Liv," Elliot said tying his tie as he walked in front of her.

"I decided I'm going to tell Cragen about the baby today. I can't risk his or her safety in the field," Olivia said searching Elliot's eyes for approval.

"I think that's a great idea," he said as he kissed her on the cheek before going into their closet to retrieve his shoes. As he sat on the bed to put the shoes on, a thought crossed his mind. "How about if I go with you to tell Cragen?"

"What?" Olivia immediately blurted out.

"Why not? We can tell Cragen everything at once," he said tying his second shoe. "I can call my boss and let him know I'll be a little late."

"I.. Is that what you want to do?" she asked him still confused.

"Yeah," he smirked as he walked past her to grab his cell phone from the dresser top. He dialed a number and proceeded to tell his boss he'd be late that morning. Once he hung up, he turned back towards Olivia and pulled her close to him. "I'm ready to tell the world that you're going to be my wife and the mother of my child, Liv," he said melting her heart. She couldn't force any words from her mouth as she was overtaken with happiness. She just stood there wrapped in his arms as he held her tight.

They drove separate cars to the 16th precinct as Elliot would have to leave to head to Queens after their meeting with Cragen. They joined hands as they proceeded into the front doors of the station house. Nervousness began to take over Olivia's body as the elevator dinged signalling their arrival at SVU. They walked out of the elevator together as they had for all those years before as partners. But this time was definitely different.

"Stabler!?" Fin shouted as he noticed Elliot walking beside Olivia as they enterred the bullpen. "Long time, no see man," Fin said as he approached the couple and shook Elliot's hand before hugging him.

"I know, I know. It's been too long," Elliot admitted as he noticed many new faces around the SVU squadroom. "Is Cragen in?" he asked as Olivia walked over to her desk and pushed her purse into her lower desk drawer.

"Yeah, just got in a few minutes ago," Fin answered walking with Elliot towards the Captain's office.

Fin knocked on the door and Cragen yelled for him to enter. "Hey Cap, look who dropped by," he said as Elliot enterred the office. "And we thought he was dead," Fin joked before leaving the office and returning to the squadroom.

Olivia enterred the office just after Fin left. She was beginning to feel nauseous again due to the stress of the impending conversation. "Good morning, Cap," she said as she walked through the door before shutting it behind her. She sat in the empty chair to the left of Elliot as Cragen stared at the two of them.

"Well," Cragen started. "It's great to see you Elliot."

"Thanks, Cap. Great to see you too," he said smiling at his former Captain.

"What's going on?" Cragen said looking at Elliot then at Olivia, knowing they wouldn't be sitting here before him if they didn't have something to say. He knew what his instincts were telling him.

"Captain," Olivia started. "Elliot and I, well... we're engaged."

"That's great!" Cragen said with a genuine smile. He had always known Olivia and Elliot shared a special relationship. He knew they loved each other whether they admitted it to themselves or not. He was happy that the best team he had ever supervised was back together in one sense or another.

"That's not all," Elliot chimed in. "Liv's pregnant," he said reaching over and taking Olivia's hand into his own as he stroked her fingers with his thumb.

"Uh huh," Cragen said staring into Olivia's eyes, searching for her feelings. He had been like a father to her and he needed reassurance from her that she was happy and okay.

"I am," she said as a tear fell from her eye and she smiled at him. "I'm happy," she said as if reading Cragen's mind.

"We better tell the others," Cragen said as he stood from his chair and walked to the door. "Fin. Rollins. Amaro."

The other three detectives ushered into the office at the Captain's request. "Amanda Rollins, Nick Amaro, this is Elliot Stabler," he said introducing the two newest detectives to Elliot. Elliot reached up and shook both of their hands before returning his focus on Cragen.

"Olivia and Elliot are getting married," Cragen said quickly. "Liv, why don't you tell them the rest."

Amanda's eyes grew wide before Olivia said anything. She glanced at Cragen and then back at Olivia. "Liv? Are you?" Amanda asked before Olivia could get the words out of her mouth.

"Yes!" Liv said with more excitement than they had ever heard from her. Amanda instantly ran over and hugged her.

"She's what?" Amaro asked with his face filled with confusion.

"She's pregnant, Amaro," Fin answered without missing a beat and nudging him on the arm. "Way to go, Stabler," Fin said walking towards Elliot again to congratulate him.

"Since Olivia is with child, I'm going to need you three to pick up the slack until I can get a temp to fill in," Cragen started. "Olivia, you're on desk duty. No arguments," he said expecting Olivia to object.

"Got it, Cap," Olivia said in agreement, surprising the rest of the squad.

As the group filed out of Cragen's office, Elliot left for Queens as Olivia sat at her desk. She realized this would be her position for the next however many months. When she noticed she didn't even know her baby's due date yet, she quickly retrieved her phone. She dialed Dr. Taytem's office and scheduled an appointment for the following Wednesday.

The next two days seemed to drag by as Olivia grew more and more anxious thinking about her upcoming doctor's appointment. She was excited at the possibility of seeing her baby on the sonogram, hearing his or her heartbeat and having Dr. Taytem verify that everything was healthy and normal. She was also terrified of the possibility of finding out something was wrong with her baby. _What if I'm too old to have a baby?_ she thought to herself. She never expressed her concerns to Elliot. She felt like if she didn't voice them, they wouldn't become a reality.

Finally, Wednesday arrived. Olivia's appointment was at 9:00 AM, so Olivia and Elliot told their bosses that they would arrive late for work after the appointment. Elliot drove Olivia to the appointment in Manhattan, just a few blocks from their apartment. Once they arrived, Olivia's nerves were in full swing.

She walked up to the receptionist's desk as she felt her hands trembling just as they had the day she took the pregnancy test. "Olivia Benson, I have a 9 o'clock appointment with Dr. Taytem," Olivia said to the gray haired lady sitting behind the desk. Her name plate read _Mary_. _She looks like a Mary,_ Olivia thought to herself as the older woman searched her computer for Olivia's appointment information.

"Ah, yes. Olivia," the woman said indicating she found what she was looking for. "Just have a seat and I'll let the nurse know you're here."

Olivia turned and went to join Elliot who was already sitting down. The waiting room was empty except for a drug representative sitting in the corner. A song softly played over the speakers in the ceiling as they waited for the nurse to call them back.

A door opened and a young nurse stuck her head out saying Olivia's name. Olivia and Elliot stood and walked towards the door. They followed her down a short hallway before they stopped at a scale. Olivia stepped on and the nurse wrote down the numbers in her chart. Olivia and Elliot were then lead into a small room with an examination table and two chairs. Olivia sat on the table while Elliot sat in the chair across the room. The nurse began asking Olivia questions about how she had been feeling and any complications she may have experienced.

After the nurse finished her questionnaire, she left the room and Olivia and Elliot sat in silence. The doctor entered the room about ten minutes later. "Good morning, Olivia," Dr. Taytem said as she enterred the room. She was a woman of about 50 with shoulder length hair that had been dyed to a light brown. Her eyes were a deep blue that were soft and kind.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Taytem," she said walking towards Elliot and shaking his hand.

"Elliot Stabler," he replied to her with a smile.

"So, Olivia," the doctor began as she sat on her stool. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Dr. Taytem," Olivia said smiling at the doctor.

"I'm going to have you run down to the lab for a quantitative blood analysis of your HcG hormones. After that, I'll run a sonogram and we'll see how the little one is doing," she said as she scribbled on a piece of paper before handing it to Olivia. "Take this downstairs to the lab and have your blood drawn. When you're finished, just come back up here and the nurse will bring you back to this room."

Once Olivia was finished with the bloodwork, she returned upstairs with Elliot. They waited another ten minutes in the examination room before Dr. Taytem reappeared.

"Your hormone levels look great, Olivia," the doctor said reading the piece of paper in front of her.

"We're going to move across the hall into the ultrasound room," the doctor said signalling for the couple to follow her.

Once across the hall, Olivia sat on another examining table as Elliot stood by her side. Dr. Taytem lifted Olivia's shirt as the young nurse joined them and turned down the lights to make the ultrasound screen more visible. The doctor squirted the warm gel over Olivia's stomach and pressed the wand down gently. Immediately, Olivia could see a tiny heart flicker on the screen. She grabbed Elliot's hand and squeezed as she instantly fell in love with her son or daughter. They stared at their baby kick and squirm as the doctor took measurements of the baby's legs, arms, head and stomach.

"The baby is measuring twelve weeks and three days," the doctor said as she handed Olivia pictures that had printed from the bottom of the ultrasound machine. Dr. Taytem reached for some tissues and handed them to Olivia to wipe the excess goo from her abdomen.

Olivia was amazed that she was that far along. She was expecting the doctor to say she was six, maybe eight weeks into her pregnancy. _Twelve?_ That was three months! She was already one third of the way through this!

"Olivia, everything is looking great. My only concern is your blood pressure is a little higher than normal for you. We will keep a close eye on it. With your advanced age, high blood pressure is a common problem," Dr. Taytem said as Olivia sat up on the table staring at the pictures in her hand. "Next time, we will probably be able to tell the sex of the baby if that's something you're interested in."

"Oh, definitely," Olivia said before even realizing maybe Elliot wouldn't want to know. She didn't care. She had to know if she was having a daughter or a son. She had so many things to prepare for within the next six months. Was she going to buy pink or blue?

"And your estimated due date is May 17," the doctor concluded before telling Elliot and Olivia goodbye. The nurse came and scheduled her next appointment for four weeks later. She was already counting down the days until she could see her tiny baby again.


	9. Chapter 9

The next four weeks flew by for Olivia and Elliot. They hosted their first Thanksgiving together in their apartment. All of Elliot's kids were there along with his mother, Bernie. Olivia also invited Amanda as she knew she didn't have any family in town and would probably end up eating a pizza for dinner. She had found herself becoming closer and closer with Amanda over the past few weeks.

Everyone was crammed into their small apartment with Bernie, Elliot, Olivia, Amanda, Maureen and Kathleen sitting at the dining table while Dickie, Lizzie and Eli all sat on the couch. After dinner was served and everyone had eaten, Elliot stood up while clanking his fork on his wine glass. "Hey guys, I have an announcement to make," he exclaimed trying to quiet everyone down.

"About time," he heard Dickie mumble and laugh from across the room.

"Olivia and I are getting married," he said followed by a roar of approval.

"Annnddd," Olivia said loudly as she stood beside Elliot. "I'm going to have a baby!"

Kathleen and Lizzie squealed with delight as they ran up to hug Olivia. Bernie immediately had tears well up in her eyes as she loved her grandchildren more than anything. She was elated to have another one. Maureen voiced her approval, but in a less dramatic way than her sisters. Eli jumped up and down on the couch with excitement at the thought of becoming a big brother.

Amanda could tell Olivia was the happiest she had ever been. She had the man of her dreams, she was now expecting her first child, and she had this entire family that loved her and had welcomed her without hesitation.

After Thanksgiving, things returned to their normal pattern of day in and day out procedures. Before they knew it, it was time for Olivia's next doctor's appointment. Olivia was looking forward to knowing if they would be welcoming a baby boy or girl into their home.

"Do you think it's a boy or girl, Liv," Elliot asked on the drive over to Dr. Taytem's office.

"Oh, El. I don't have a clue," Olivia confessed. "What do you think?"

"I think it will be a girl. I just have a feeling," Elliot said smiling at her.

"As long as he or she is healthy, that's all I'm worried about El," Olivia said as they pulled into the parking lot of Dr. Taytem's office.

The wait to see the doctor was longer this time as the appointment was later in the morning. After approximately thirty minutes of waiting, they were ushered back to the scale and then into one of the sonogram rooms. Dr. Taytem immediately walked in as the nurse finished taking Olivia's blood pressure and temperature.

"Good morning, Olivia and Elliot," she said as she took Olivia's chart from the nurse and reviewed her information. "Your blood pressure is still verging on high but I don't think it's anything to be alarmed at yet," she said as she powered on the sonogram machine. "Are you ready to see if it will be pink flowers or blue trucks?"

"Yes," Olivia said as she began pulling her shirt up to expose her abdomen. The doctor squirted the warm gel onto her and began probing her tiny baby bump with the wand. "Look how big she is!" Olivia exclaimed at the first sight of their baby on the screen.

"Or he," Elliot responded with a smile while squeezing her hand.

Dr. Taytem began moving the wand in circles trying to get a clear view of the baby. "Someone is fiesty today," she said with a smile. Finally, after a few moments of prodding, she said to them, "Well, it looks like it is going to be pink butterflies! Congratulations, it's a girl!"

After those words, Olivia didn't hear anything the doctor said. All she could think of was how excited she was to have a daughter of her own. A daughter with Elliot. She thought of the gorgeous pink damask patterned bedding she had seen online and couldn't wait to get home to order it. She couldn't wait to see Elliot with their daughter. All of these thoughts flooded her mind as she laid there while the doctor was still moving the wand around on her stomach.

"Olivia," the doctor said snapping her back into reality. "Olivia," she said again. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"No. No, I didn't. I'm sorry," Olivia confessed a little embarrassed.

"Olivia, I said you have a placenta previa," Dr. Taytem repeated.

"What.. what does that mean?" Elliot asked.

"It occurs when the baby's placenta covers the cervix. It can cause severe bleeding during your pregnancy and you will have to have a caesarean section to ensure the safest delivery possible for your baby," the doctor started. "The placenta provides all tthe oxygen and nutrients to your baby and removes all the wastes from your baby's blood. In most pregnancies, the placenta attaches to the uterus at the top or the side. In your case, the placenta attached to the lower area of the uterus, blocking the birth canal."

"What happens now? Is she okay? Is my baby okay?" Olivia asked nearly in tears.

"Your baby is fine, Olivia. If at any time you start to have severe bleeding or feeling any contractions whatsoever, you have to get to a hospital. The risk of you hemorrhaging during labor is greater than normal," the doctor advised to Olivia and Elliot. "I want you to take it easy, Olivia. Don't do any more than you have to."

After the news of the complication set in and the nurse gave them an appointment card to come back in three weeks, Olivia and Elliot made their way to Elliot's car in the parking lot. "El, do you think I should tell Cragen I need to take an early leave?" Olivia asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Liv, I think you'll be fine. He's already assigned you desk duty," Elliot reassured her. "It will be okay, Liv. Our little princess is going to be okay."

"Princess," she repeated with a smile.

"What are we going to name her?" Elliot asked as he pulled the car out of the parking lot driving towards the 16th precinct.

"What about Zoe?" Olivia asked as if she had already decided on the name.

"Zoe?" Elliot questioned. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. "It doesn't jump out at me. What about Hailey?"

"No," Olivia said quickly.

"Audrey?" he asked.

"No."

"Mallory?"

"No."

"Well, I'll think about Zoe," he said smiling at Olivia. "Liv, have you thought any more about the wedding?"

"El, I don't know what to do. I just don't have the energy to organize a big soiree," she admitted to him. "Can we have something intimate and small?"

"Of course, Liv," he said as he pulled up in front of the one six. He leaned over to kiss her before she exited from the vehicle.

"I'll have Amanda bring me home," she said as she stood outside the vehicle. "Love you," she said and shut the door before walking into the station house.

When she arrived at SVU, everyone was waiting for her. The entire department was emotionally invested in Olivia and Elliot's baby and couldn't wait to know if the baby would be a miniature Olivia or miniature Elliot.

"She's here!" exclaimed Amanda as Olivia walked through the doors of the Special Victims Unit. Before Olivia could sit at her desk and resume the monotony of paper work, Amanda, Fin and Nick were surrounding her questioning the gender of the future Stabler baby.

"Okay! Okay guys," Olivia said raising her hands in defeat as she laughed. "The doctor is 99% sure that the baby is..." she paused, building their anticipation, "a girl!"

"Yes!" Amanda shouted. "I knew it! You boys better be glad I quit betting because I would have gladly taken your money!"

"Any names picked out yet for my future neice?" Fin asked.

"I like Zoe, but El's a little unsure of it," Olivia answered.

"I like it," Fin said showing his approval of her choice of name.

Hours passed and Olivia continued with her desk duty as the other detectives were dispatched into the field. Cragen had put in a request for a temporary detective to partner with Nick while she was on desk duty, but no one had been sent to the Unit yet. She was helping her colleagues any way she can, but she knew they were still feeling the pressure of being a man down.

She eventually caught herself daydreaming about her wedding. She knew she didn't want anything lavish or extravagant. She wanted Amanda to be there for sure. And of course Fin and Nick. Definitely Barba and Melinda, too. Cragen without a doubt. She knew Elliot would want his children and his mother. Who would marry them? Olivia thought about Judge Donnelly. She quickly dialed her number on her office phone.

_"Elizabeth Donnelly,"_ the judge said answering the phone.

"Hey, Liz. It's Olivia Benson. How are you?"

_"Doing great, Olivia. I think I should be asking you how YOU are! Congratulations on the baby."_

"Thank you!"

_"What can I do for you?"_

"Liz, I was wondering if you'd mind performing Elliot's and my wedding ceremony."

_"Oh what an honor, Olivia! I would love to."_

"Thank you! I'm not sure of the date just yet but I know it will be soon."

_"Just let me know. Take care, Olivia and tell Elliot I said hello."_

"I sure will. Goodbye, Liz."

Olivia finally had planned something for the wedding. Elliot would be proud of her. She decided she would text him to let him know as her excitement took over her. She retrieved her white iPhone from her desk drawer and proceeded to text him:

Judge Donnelly is on board to do the ceremony.

He must not have had a busy day as he immediately text her back.

_Great. When? :)_

Whenever you want.

_Saturday?_

Ok.

_Where?_

I don't know.

_The one six? It is where we met. :) _

Why not.

And with that, their wedding was planned. She walked into Cragen's office and shut the door before sitting down across from him at his desk. "Hey Cap. Do you have any plans for Saturday?" Olivia asked him with a smile.

"Nope. Was planning on catching up on paperwork, but that can wait. What's up?" Cragen said.

"Would you like to give me away at my wedding?" Olivia surprised herself with that statement. She meant to just invite him to the ceremony but she didn't regret her question. He was the closest thing to a father figure she had ever had.

"Sure! When and where?" he asked her with a smile, flattered that she would think so highly of him.

"Here at noon," she said quickly.

"Here?!" he questioned.

"Sure. Why not? It's where El and I met afterall," she said smiling as she began to walk towards the door of his office. She turned around saying thank you before walking out.

After speaking with Cragen, she called Judge Donnelly back and notified the rest of the squad along with Barba and Melinda. She knew Elliot would spread the word to his mother and children. She was excited to have a quick, painless wedding. She never envisioned herself as the type of woman to have an expensive wedding, wearing the enormous white dress at the biggest church in New York City. She just wanted to marry the man of her dreams with her closest friends there. And that was what she was going to do.

Saturday arrived and everyone gathered in the 16th precinct for the quick ceremony. It was very casual, as Olivia and Elliot had wished. Barba, Fin and Nick sat in office chairs lined in front of the windowed wall. Bernie sat with Eli on her lap next to Amanda adjacent from the other detectives. Maureen was unable to make the trip, but sent her best wishes. Kathleen, Dickie and Lizzie sat beside their grandmother. Melinda was with Olivia adding the finishing touches to her mascara. Olivia had a simple off-white dress on, her hair was down with loose curls and her makeup was perfect.

Cragen arrived to walk Olivia down to Elliot who was standing beside Judge Donnelly in the front of the squadroom. Melinda retreated to her seat beside Amanda just before Cragen and Olivia passed. Cragen silently hugged Olivia as if hugging his own daughter and then handed her hand to Elliot and sat down next to Nick. Judge Donnelly thanked everyone for coming to the intimate ceremony and proceeded to tell a short story.

"I always knew these two were in love, even before they did. If it wasn't for these two amazing detectives and human beings, many victims wouldn't have answers and many perpetrators would still be unapprehended. The chemistry between Olivia and Elliot as partners is electrifying and it affects everyone who is around them in the most positive way possible. I can only imagine the magnitude of their partnership as husband and wife and as parents. They saved my life once after a little potassium chloride incident and I will forever be in debt to them," she said as she let out a small laugh remembering the chaos caused by CSU Tech Intern Stuckey. "I just want you both to know that I am honored to join you in marriage and couldn't be happier for you."

Her speech brought tears to Elliot and Olivia's eyes.

"Now, let's get this show on the road," she continued with a smile.

"Elliot, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love, honor and comfort her and keep her in sickness and in health, and foresaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Elliot sincerely looked into Olivia's eyes as he replied, "I do."

"Olivia, do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love, honor and comfort him and keep him in sickness and in health, and foresaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

Olivia smiled as she stared into Elliot's vibrant eyes as she quietly replied, "I do."

"Elliot, place the ring on Olivia's finger and repeat after me. I, Elliot Stabler, take you, Olivia Benson, to be my wife, my love and my best friend." _He repeated._ "I promise to be faithful to you and honest with you." _He repeated._ "I will respect you, trust you and cherish you." _He repeated._ "I will share the rest of my life with you." _He repeated._ "This ring is a symbol of my love and commitment to you." _He repeated._

"Olivia, place the ring on Elliot's finger and repeat after me. I, Olivia Benson, take you, Elliot Stabler to be my husband, my love and my best friend." _She repeated._ "I promise to be faithful to you and honest with you." _She repeated._ "I will respect you, trust you and cherish you." _She repeated._ "I will share the rest of my life with you." _She repeated._ "This ring is a symbol of my love and commitment to you." _She repeated._

"By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Elliot, you may now kiss your bride."

Elliot threw Olivia back as if dipping her during a dance and kissed her passionately for the first time in front of their friends.

"It is my privilege to introduce to you for the first time as husband and wife, Elliot and Olivia Stabler," Judge Donnelly concluded the short ceremony.

As Elliot and Olivia were hugging their friends and family, Amanda and Fin slipped into Cragen's office and produced a two tiered wedding cake and gifts.

"What is all this?" Olivia asked of her coworkers.

"We couldn't not give you a wedding shower, Liv," Amanda said as she hugged her friend.

"Thank you so much," Olivia said as tears welled up in her eyes again. She was so grateful for the relationships she had with her amazing coworkers and Elliot's wonderful family.

After all the gifts were opened and the cake was devoured, Olivia and Elliot began preparing to go home for the first time as husband and wife.

"Olivia, I can take Eli to Kathy's before I head home," Bernie said helping Olivia place her gifts neatly into gift bags.

"Oh, Bernie, it's okay. We only get one night a week with Eli. We are more than happy to have him share this special day with us," Olivia replied to Bernie's offer.

"Thank you, Olivia," Bernie said as she wrapped the excess cake up in tin foil.

"For what?" Olivia asked.

"For loving my grandchildren the way you do," Bernie confessed. Olivia couldn't tell if it was Bernie's statement or the pregnancy hormones, but tears instantly formed in her eyes again. She had no idea she was even capable of producing this many tears in one day.

Once Elliot, Olivia and Eli returned home, it was an ordinary Saturday evening. They ordered pizza and let Eli pick a movie to watch. He finally was over his Ninja Turtles phase and was now onto Batman. Eli fell asleep during the movie and after the conclusion, Elliot carried him to his bedroom before joining Olivia in their bedroom.

"Hello Mrs. Stabler," Elliot said as he walked up behind Olivia and wrapped his arms around her belly. She was now almost 17 weeks pregnant and her baby bump was finally beginning to show.

"Hello Mr. Stabler," she replied as she turned around in his arms and proceeded to kiss her husband. She began undoing the buttons on his shirt as he removed his belt and pants. Once he was down to his briefs, he helped her slide her dress over her head and she stepped out of her panties. She pushed him down onto the bed and climbed on top of him, removing her bra once she was straddled across him. She slowly lowered her body onto him and moaned as he filled every possible space inside of her. Her body had become more sensitive in the last few weeks of her pregnancy, and she quickly felt her climax nearing as he pumped his body in and out as he laid underneath her. He reached up with his mouth and took her breast in between his teeth, flicking her nipple with his tongue. This sent her over the edge and she overflowed on top of him. The sensation of her body squeezing his aided in him reaching his climax. He thrust into her three more times before feeling the end of his orgasm. She remained on top of him and could slowly feel his liquid began to trickle down her thigh and onto his abdomen.

She forced herself to get up and retrieve a towel to clean them up before cuddling with her husband as they simultaneously drifted to sleep.

The next day flew by as Sundays always seemed to do. Elliot had managed to catch a cold and Olivia volunteered to drive Eli home to Kathy's. The drive from Manhattan to Queens usually took about thirty minutes. Eli filled those thirty minutes up with conversations. Olivia loved hearing what the six year old had to say and she always managed to learn something new about him.

As they approached Flushing, rain began to fall rhythmically on the windshield. Olivia turned her wipers on and continued the conversation with Eli, who was sitting in his booster seat behind the passenger seat. As they continued chatting about Batman, headlights suddenly appeared in front of the car speeding towards them. Before Olivia could react, the full-sized SUV crashed into Elliot's sedan. The sound of tires screeching was deafening and Olivia could feel the seatbelt slam against her swollen abdomen. _My baby girl_, she thought quickly before blacking out. Glass shattered everywhere, causing cuts on both Olivia and Eli. Their bodies were jolted from impact and Eli's head was slammed through the window of the rear car door.

As Olivia and Eli both lay lifeless in the car, a pedestrian who was walking by immediately dialed 911. Paramedics arrived within ten minutes to attempt to save the passengers of the car. Eli was immediately withdrawn from the backseat and placed into an ambulance en route to Mercy Medical Center in Queens.

The paramedics were finally able to get Olivia out of the front seat after her seatbelt that had jammed was cut. She was unresponsive and very bloody. She was immediately situated on a stretcher before being loaded into a second ambulance also en route to Mercy.


	10. Chapter 10

Elliot was startled awake by his phone ringing from his nightstand. He answered it immediately, not minding the Caller ID. "Hello," he said in a groggy tone.

"Elliot. I thought you said Eli was on his way home?" Kathy said from the other end of the line. "You know I hate it when you..."

"What are you talking about Kathy?" he cut her off looking at the alarm clock. "Olivia left over two hours ago."

"Well, they haven't made it here yet, Elliot," Kathy snarled back at him.

"Kathy, something's wrong. I'll call you back," Elliot said hanging up on his bitter ex-wife.

He attempted many times to contact Olivia, each time her phone going straight to voicemail. After the seventh call, he received an incoming call. _Cragen._

"Hello," Elliot nearly shouted into the phone.

"_Elliot. There's been an accident. Olivia and Eli are at Mercy in Queens,_" Cragen said into his phone urgently.

"I'll be right there," Elliot said jolting from his bed and throwing on a pair of sweatpants with a hooded sweatshirt and tennis shoes. He grabbed Olivia's keys as he ran from the apartment towards her car parked in front of the building.

He called Kathy on the way as he sporadically drove to Mercy Medical in Queens. The drive normally took thirty minutes, but he made it in less than twenty. When he arrived, he saw Cragen waiting for him outside of the hospital. "What happened, Don?" Elliot asked immediately.

"An elderly man was driving his SUV in the wrong lane, crashed into Olivia head on. She's unresponsive, Elliot," Cragen paused. "But Eli is okay. He's got a lot of bruising and cuts along with a broken arm, but he will be fine."

"What about the baby?" Elliot asked terrified to hear Cragen's answer.

"I don't know, Elliot," he admitted. "They are still trying to stabilize her. She's had a traumatic brain injury."

The two men walked into the waiting area outside of where Olivia was being treated. Kathy had arrived shortly after Elliot and he quickly went with her to visit Eli before returning to sit with Cragen in the waiting room. Elliot felt so helpless just sitting there while his wife and unborn child were at the mercy of the doctors and nurses.

The minutes turned to hours and finally a doctor emerged from the operating room to speak with them. "Mr. Stabler?" the doctor asked walking towards Elliot.

"Yes," Elliot blurted out immediately.

"I'm Dr. Clark. I've been with Olivia since she was brought into the Trauma Unit. She has suffered a minor skull fracture along with many contusions and lacerations. I don't think she will have any lasting nerve damage, but it's touch and go right now. We've finally stablized her but she hasn't woken up yet."

"What.. what do you mean she hasn't woken up yet?" Elliot asked with furrowed brows.

"Mr. Stabler, your wife is currently in a coma," Dr. Clark said to Elliot.

"Get her out of it! Make her better," Elliot began ranting as a tear fell down his cheek.

"Elliot, calm down," Cragen said walking towards Elliot. "Doc, what about the baby?"

"The baby is still alive. Her heart rate is strong and miraculously, she seems to be doing fine. You have one strong daughter, Mr. Stabler. I don't understand how she survived the accident," Dr. Clark admitted to Elliot.

_Of course she's strong. She's Olivia's daughter,_ Elliot thought to himself.

"How long do you suspect she will be in this coma?" Cragen asked.

"I can't predict that, sir. It could be twelve hours, it could be twelve weeks, it could be twelve months. The brain is a mysterious thing and it's completely unpredictable," the doctor answered Cragen. "We just have to wait and see."

"When can I see her?" Elliot asked wiping tears from his cheeks.

"You can come back now," Dr. Clark replied before turning around and leading the two men out of the waiting room and through many hallways and doorways. Finally, they arrived in the Intensive Care Unit at room 2219.

When they entered the room, Elliot was surprised to see Olivia laying in bed as if she was sleeping. He had somewhat expected to see tons of machines hooked up to his wife keeping her alive. The doctor explained that she was self sufficient except for nutrition. He was somehow relieved by that information. He walked over to Olivia and kissed her forehead. He leaned down and whispered "I love you" into her ear. He then leaned over her belly and kissed her tiny bump before whispering "I love you, Zoe."

He knew it didn't matter what her name was as long as she was healthy. Olivia liked Zoe, and so therefore that would be her name. He spent the next few days by Olivia's side, never leaving unless it was to visit Eli in the pediatric wing or take a quick shower and change clothes. He watched television and found himself talking to Olivia as if she would answer. He talked to Zoe at least once an hour, informing her of how strong her mother was and how he couldn't wait to meet her. He told her of her older siblings and how they couldn't wait for her arrival into the world.

Elliot had stayed by Olivia's side for ten consecutive days before Amanda finally convinced him to go home and rest. She promised she would stay by Olivia's side until he returned. He told her to make sure she talked to Olivia so she knew who was with her. He gave her his number repeatedly until she could almost recite it verbatim.

"Elliot, how are you holding up?" Amanda asked just before he walked out of the door.

"Amanda, I.. I'm lost without her," Elliot confessed.

"She's strong. She'll pull through," Amanda reassured him. Everyone had complete faith that Olivia would survive this.

After Elliot left, Amanda sat down in the chair next to Olivia's bed. She began telling her about how the squad missed her and the temporary detective finally showed up.

"His name is Riley Quinn. I'm back to being the only female detective just like I was in Atlanta," she said before pausing. "Ya gotta get better, Liv," Amanda said finishing quietly as she felt a lump grow in her throat. She wiped a stray tear that slowly ran down her cheek as she watched Olivia sleep in beside her.

************EO*********************EO************* ******

_"Olivia! Olivia!" she heard her mother shouting from inside the living room. She quietly emerged from her bedroom where she had been hiding since she had returned home from school hours earlier. She could sense her mother was having a hard day, so she knew it as in her best interest to steer clear. _

_As her mother saw her walk into the living room, she quickly changed her focus from nursing her glass full of vodka and ice to her five year old daughter entering the room. _

_"Olivia, get your toys out of this living room. What have I told you about.." she started before taking another sip of her drink. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, Olivia."_

_"Sorry, mommy," the young Olivia said quietly as she walked over to the couch where her two dolls were sitting. She quickly picked them up and carried them back into her room._

_Once she had returned to her bedroom, she sat on the her bed covered with a light pink duvet accented with white and pink pillows. She picked up her favorite doll and hugged her tight. She didn't understand why her mother didn't hug her or why she didn't kiss her goodnight. She would love to watch a movie with her mother or even eat dinner as a family - even if it was just the two of them. As she sat there dreaming of the things she could do with her mother, a single tear began to escape from her eye and make its way down her cheek. She wiped the tear away and shoved the thoughts out of her mind. She was only five, but she was beginning to build a strong wall around her heart already._

************EO*********************EO************* ******

"Amanda," Elliot whispered as he gently shook Amanda's shoulder. She had fallen asleep in the chair situated next to Olivia's bed sometime throughout the night. "Amanda, wake up. I brought you coffee."

"Hey. Thanks, Elliot," Amanda said rubbing the sleep from her eyes before reaching for the cup. "Morning already?"

"Yeah. Did she have a good night?" Elliot asked staring at his newlywedded wife lying helplessly in front of them.

Amanda nodded as she gathered her book, tablet and newspaper and stuffed them into her bag. She looked at her watch as she sipped from her coffee cup.

"I'm gonna get out of here and head down to the precinct," Amanda said slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "Elliot, call me if you need anything at all," she said as she grabbed his arm and stared into his eyes making the seriousness of her statement known. "I mean it."

"Thanks, Amanda," he said taking the seat that had recently been occupied by the blonde detective.

Once Elliot and Olivia were alone, he began to tell her how well Eli's recovery was going. It had been nearly two weeks since the accident, and after a surgery to place pins in his arm, he was finally able to go home. He told Olivia how concerned the children were about her and baby Zoe and that Kathleen was planning on coming by the following weekend to stay with her so Elliot could spend a night with Eli. He told her about the snow that had been falling outside and how beautiful the parks were.

Dr. Clark came in after Elliot had finished his update with Olivia to announce that Dr. Taytem would be coming by to check on Olivia and Zoe later that day. He hated that Olivia wouldn't be awake for the sonogram, but was ecstatic to finally see his baby kicking and wiggling again. He knew the doctors reassured him that the baby was healthy and doing extremely well, but he still wanted to see her for himself.

************EO*********************EO************* ******

_"Olivia Benson! What do you mean you're getting married?" her mother screamed at her from the other side of their kitchen._

_"He loves me, mom," Olivia started to explain her relationship with her mother's 21 year old English student._

_"You are seventeen! You don't even know what love is," her mother belittled her in only a way that she could._

_"Mother! I am marrying.." she started again before being interrupted._

_"Olivia, you listen to me. Listen," she said before taking a quick swig from the vodka bottle she had just pulled from the fridge, "if you marry that boy, I will do everything in my power to make sure he is expelled from the university. Do you hear me?"_

_"But mothe..."_

_"Do you hear me!?" her mother was now yelling at her._

_"Yes," Olivia said defeated before she escaped to the solitude of her bedroom. Her bedroom was the only space in the entire house she didn't feel anxious in, where she could just relax and be herself. She now knew why her mother was the way she was and she tried her hardest to understand and give her mother the space she needed. She loved her mother more than anyone - they were all each other had. _

_As she sat there on her bed, she once again found herself wiping tears from her face as she had so many other nights before slowly drifting off to sleep._

************EO*********************EO************* ******

"Did you hear that, Liv? Dr. Taytem said Zoe is 10 ounces already! She's such a fighter," Elliot said as he stared at the pictures of his baby girl that had just printed out of the sonogram machine. Dr. Taytem had made a special trip down to Mercy to examine Olivia and perform a sonogram. The examination revealed that Olivia had not started any dialation and the sonogram showed Zoe's heart rate was strong and she seemed to be receiving enough nutrition via Olivia's IV. The doctors had been concerned with the amount of nutrition the baby would be receiving, but everything seemed to be working perfect for the time being.

"I ordered the bedding that you had showed me online today," Elliot said as he started talking to his wife again. "I sent Kathleen a picture and she says she can't wait to help us decorate."

_Knock knock._

"Come in," Elliot yelled to the visitor on the opposite side of the door. Slowly, the door opened and Cragen entered carrying a bouquet of flowers. Elliot stood immediately and took the large floral arrangement from him and carefully sat them on a side table next to Olivia's bed.

"How is she doing, Elliot?" Cragen asked quietly as if he was scared to wake her.

"She's doing good, Cap. The baby is doing great too," he said showing off the newest sonogram images to his former captain. He was bursting with pride for his baby daughter.

"That's great. Do they think she will be able to carry the baby if she doesn't..." the Captain's voice began to trail off as he didn't want to finish his sentence. The possible reality of Olivia not being there to experience the birth of her child became overwhelming.

"One day at a time, Cap," Elliot said placing the sonogram photos next to the flowers on the small table. "I try to stay positive and think about today."

"That's probably a good way to be, Elliot. But you can't stay here forever, ya know. You eventually need to get back to your precinct," Cragen said offering fatherly advice.

"I know. I just keep thinking she will wake up and I will take her home and things will be normal again," Elliot said as his expression changed from hopeful to terrified. "How am I suppose to go to work and act like everything is normal when it's not. When it's the farthest it can possibly be from normal?"

"She's a strong woman, Elliot. You know that as well as I do, if not better. She will pull out of this," Cragen said placing his arm on his former detective's shoulder. "We are all here for you and standing behind you."

"I know," he said barely audible before hugging Cragen. "Thank you for loving her."

************EO*********************EO************* ******

_"Elliot Stabler, this is your new partner, Olivia Benson," her new Captain said as he introduced her to her new partner. She was beyond excited to finally be a part of the Special Victims Unit in Manhattan. Ever since her discovery of how her life came about, she was bound and determined to make a difference in the lives of other rape victims. Her mother often voiced her disapproval for her chosen career, but she no longer let her mother hold her from her dreams. _

_"Nice to meet you, Elliot," Olivia said as she shook her new partners hand. _

_"Welcome to Special Victims, Olivia," Elliot said as he showed her to her desk._

_"Hopefully you'll last longer than his other partners," a tall, older detective said as he walked by. _

_"Screw you, Munch," Elliot said. _

_"Hi, Olivia! I'm Monique Jeffries. I have the pleasure of working with that," Monique said with a look of disgust while pointing to John Munch who was pouring coffee into a brown mug._

_"Like it's any better working with you, Jeffries? Don't flatter yourself," Munch quickly responded. _

_"Ignore them," Elliot whispered into her ear. "They secretly love each other," he said as he laughed at his own joke._

_"Stabler. Benson. Got your first case for you. Stabbing and casteration of a taxi driver," Cragen said walking into the squadroom where the detectives were. _

_"Here goes nothing," she thought to herself as she followed Elliot to the elevator en route to their first case of their new partnership._

************EO*********************EO************* ******

"Liv," Elliot whispered to his wife as the clock passed midnight. "I need you to wake up baby," he pleaded with his wife. It had been two weeks since he had heard his wife speak to him. Two weeks since she had held his hand or hugged him or kiss him. He was beyond thankful that Eli had survived with no more injuries than he had. And surprisingly, tiny Zoe came out better than anyone involved in the collision. The elderly man who had caused the accident passed away from heart complications the day after the wreck. His widow had sent flowers to Olivia and balloons to Eli. She felt tremendous guilt for her husbands actions although Elliot couldn't feel any hatred towards him. All of his focus and concerns were invested in getting his Olivia back.

He reached up to the table and retrieved the remote to the television while still holding Olivia's hand. As he powered up the tv and the sound came on, he felt Olivia squeeze his hand. He immediately shot up in excitement. He expected to see her eyes open searching for him, but there was nothing. He called the nurse in immediately.

"Can I help you, Mr. Stabler," the polite nurse said as she entered Olivia's room.

"She.. she squeezed my hand!" Elliot said with exhilaration.

"How many times?" the nurse questioned.

"Once, when I turned the television on. As soon as she heard the noise, she squeezed it," he explained to her, still displaying enthusiasm.

"Okay, I'm going to notify her doctor but I have to tell you, Mr. Stabler. It more than likely was a twitch or something else nerve related. It's very common in coma patients to," the nurse started to explain as she noticed Elliot's expression change from elation to disheartened. "But I will definitely let the doctor know."

As soon as the nurse was gone again, he reclaimed his position of the last two weeks next to his wife. He wanted to believe that she knew he was there. He wanted to believe that she could hear him. He wanted to believe that she would wake up. Everything was taking its course on Elliot emotionally and finally he allowed himself to release his frustrations through crying. He sat there beside Olivia and cried for the better part of an hour. And somehow, after every tear had fallen and his eyes were completely drained, he felt better for the first time in the two weeks since the accident. He hadn't given up on Olivia. Deep down, he still believed she was a fighter and would win this battle.


	11. Chapter 11

_"How long have you been sleeping with Cassidy?" Elliot asked her out of the blue. She had just finished telling Brian Cassidy that she wasn't interested in a relationship with him, and now Elliot is questioning her about him._

_"Uh.. I'm not," Olivia lied to her partner. It wasn't any of his business who she slept with._

_"Your stomach just dropped two floors, Olivia. The subconscious doesn't lie," Elliot quickly said back. Why wouldn't he just drop it?_

_"I'm not lying.." she started as she fumbled with a folder from her locker. "Not much," she finally confessed knowing Elliot wouldn't let this go._

_"Mmhmm.." Elliot mumbled._

_"Is it that obvious?" Olivia asked concerned that the entire precinct had caught wim of her one night stand._

_"I'm your partner. For better or worse. Look, everybody knows too much about everybody else in this office," Elliot admitted trying to ease her worry. _

_"I broke a rule, Elliot. A personal one and now he wants to see me again."_

_"Can you blame him?" Elliot always knew what to say to tug at her heart strings. She knew she was secretly attracted to him already, but would never admit that to him, let alone herself._

_"I just.. I can't right now. I didn't mean to. Well, I guess ya never do but I..." Olivia rambled until Elliot broke in._

_"Sometimes ya do," he added before he proceeded to tell her how to politely drop Cassidy and ease the tension in the squadroom._

************EO*********************EO************* ******

Three months had passed since Olivia and Eli's accident. Eli was finishing his last week of physical therapy and was doing better than ever. Olivia was still in a coma but Zoe had continued growing and thriving despite all the odds stacked against her. Olivia was 30 weeks pregnant and well into her third trimester. Dr. Taytem had told Elliot that if she made it to 36 weeks of pregnancy, she would perform the C-section then.

"Dad!" Eli yelled from the bath tub. "My fingers are all wrinkley! I'm ready to get out!"

"Coming, buddy," Elliot said as he walked into the bathroom where his son was finishing his bath. He had grown to appreciate his son more than ever over the last few months. Depression was on the verge of overtaking his life until he realized he had to stay strong for Eli. He was battling with emotions when he realized Olivia was missing out on so many vital steps in her pregnancy. She hadn't been able to acknowledge Zoe's kicks yet, her hiccups or her elbow prodding out of her stomach when she searched for more room. He worried she would miss her birth as well. What if she missed everything...

"Dad!" Eli shouted breaking Elliot's thought.

"Sorry, bud," he said as he wrapped his son in a towel and lifted him out of the tub. "What movie are we watching tonight?"

"How about Ninja Turtles?" Eli said enthusiastically.

"Ninja Turtles? We haven't watched that one in a long time," Elliot said as he dried the boy off before handing him his pajamas.

"It's Livia's favorite," Eli said as he pulled his pajama shirt over his head.

Elliot let out a small chuckle as he remembered how Olivia secretly despised that movie after Eli had made them watch it week after week. "Yes, it is."

"Do you think baby Zoe will like it too?" he asked.

"I'm sure she will," Elliot said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I'm sure she will," he repeated quieter this time.

After they finished watching Ninja Turtles, Elliot and Eli made their way into Elliot and Olivia's bedroom. Since Olivia had been in the hospital, Elliot had allowed Eli to sleep with him. He seemed to sleep better with his son resting on Olivia's side.

Just as Elliot began to drift into sleep, his phone alerted him of an incoming call from Kathleen, who was staying with Olivia at the hospital for him so he could spend the night with Eli.

"Hello," Elliot said quickly as he answered his phone.

_"Dad, she's bleeding," _Kathleen said frantically on the other end of the line.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked as she began to slip the jeans on that he had just taken off.

_"The doctor thinks it's from the baby's placenta. There's a lot of blood, Dad," _Kathleen said as she looked at Olivia still lying there helplessly. _"I already called Lizzie. She's on her way to your house to stay with Eli."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can, sweetie," he said before hanging up. He felt tremendous guilt flood his body as he realized how scared his daughter was. Why was he allowing his children to be subjected to all of this? He was just trying to do what was right for Eli, but somehow, he ended up putting his older children in a position that they never should have been put in. What if Olivia didn't wake up? He would be in charge of another child. Alone. What if he screwed her up, too.

Before his thoughts could go any further, he heard Lizzie entering the apartment as she let herself in with her key.

"Dad," Lizzie said quietly as she walked into his bedroom. Eli was still sound asleep and Elliot was putting a hooded sweatshirt on as she walked through his doorway.

"Lizzie," he said as he walked over and hugged her. "Thank you so much," he said as he squeezed her tighter.

"Hurry up, Dad. Liv needs you," Lizzie said in a very mature voice.

"I love you, Elizabeth," he said as he kissed her forehead before walking out of his bedroom.

************EO*********************EO************* ******

_Olivia was waiting for Elliot for over an hour at his house in Queens. No one was home so she made herself comfortable on his stoop. She had nowhere to be and knew that just talking to her partner would ease her mind._

_As Elliot pulled up in his car, Olivia noticed the grocery bags in his front seat and gave him grief over using his one night off to do domestic chores. He could tell the Gardner rape cases were weighing pretty heavy on his partner as he walked up to her. Because of their case and Olivia's persistence, a rape victim waived her privacy rights and allowed her therapist, Bethany Taylor, to testify about their sessions. Bethany had since received another subpoena to testify about another rape case and many of her patients had stopped coming to their sessions. _

_"Liv, you gotta let it go. You put a rapist on trial. You did your job," Elliot said trying to relieve some of her frustrations._

_"I think I made it worse," Olivia confessed._

_"You know that's not true," he said as he sat the bags of groceries down and took a seat next to her on the step._

_"I made Carrie relive the worst thing that's ever happened to her. I screwed any number of victims who may have sought counseling from Bethany Taylor. And a few less rapes may be reported because of it," Olivia said as she felt tears begin to sting her eyes._

_"If Michael Gardner is convicted, he'll never rape another woman," Elliot said staring into his partners eyes. He could feel her pain and needed to find a way to ease it for her._

_"It's not worth it," she said quietly. "It's not worth the cost."_

_"To you or them?" Elliot questioned her._

_"I'm not talking about me," Olivia answered as the tears continued to form and her vision became slightly blurred by the liquid._

_"Yeah, you are. For as long as I have known you, you've always identified with the victims. Maybe it's because of your old woman. I don't know. I do know it's one of the things that makes you a great cop," he said staring deep into her eyes - almost as if he was looking into her soul. "It's also one of the things that makes this job torture sometimes. You can never go back and change things that have already happened. Olivia, ya can't."_

_"You kill yourself to make something happen, or you do nothing. Doesn't matter. There's always another child molester. There's always another rapist. And it's like you have to sell a little piece of yourself to get the job done. So what the hell's the point?" she asked Elliot, hoping he would say something that would give her some form of hope._

_"I don't know. Maybe there isn't a point. Maybe the cost is too high. Olivia, no one is making you do this. The difference between you and all the victims is you can walk away," Elliot responded._

_"No. I can't," she whispered to him as a tear finally fell from her eye. She realized the conversation with Elliot wasn't helping her the way she had hoped and knew there was nothing left she wanted to say. She stood from her seat on the step and walked towards her car before driving back to Manhattan._

************EO*********************EO************* ******

"Is she okay? How's the baby?" Elliot asked promptly as he ran through Olivia's hospital room door and to her bedside.

"Olivia is doing okay, Mr. Stabler," the doctor on call that night, Dr. Matthews, said to Elliot.

"And the baby?" Elliot repeated.

"Her heartbeat is very strong. She's a soldier," Dr. Matthews said as he handed Elliot new sonogram images. "We performed a sonogram. The placenta is still attached to the uterine wall and your daughter is still very active."

"Then why is my wife bleeding?" Elliot questioned clearly not satisfied with the doctors explanation.

"Bleeding is a common complication when women have placenta previa. Her bleeding has slowed significantly," Dr. Matthews said to Elliot. "She's going to be fine," he concluded, trying to comfort Elliot before he exited.

Elliot stood at Olivia's bedside staring down at his wife. He wanted so badly for her to wake up. Three months was too long. He hadn't heard her say "I love you" in three months. She hadn't hugged him in three months. She hadn't kissed him three months. He felt his strength slipping away and he fell to his knees at her bedside.

"Lord, please. Please," he pleaded with God. "I'll do anything for her to get better," he said as tears overflowed his eyes. Kathleen quickly knelt beside her father and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"She's strong, Daddy," Kathleen said trying to comfort her father.

"I know, I know she's strong," he said exasperated. "Everyone knows she's strong. She's the strongest woman I know."

"Daddy..." Kathleen said trying to calm her father who wasn't making any effort to control his emotions at this point.

"She's tough. She has more determination than anyone I've ever met. She's strong-willed. Kathleen, she..." Elliot's voice quieted as he no longer could hold back the urge to weep. His hands were grasping Olivia's right hand as he continued kneeling beside her bed. His head was now resting on the metal rail that ran alongside her resting body. "She's my whole world. She always has been."

"I know. I've known longer than you have, I think," Kathleen said hugging her distraught father. She couldn't remember a time when she didn't know that Olivia was the glue that held her father together. She knew he loved her mother, but their love wasn't comparable to his love with Olivia. Olivia brought out the best of her dad, and she loved her for that. "You know we love her too, Dad."

"Thank you," Elliot said as he returned his daughter's hug. "She loves you guys more than you know."

"We're going to get her through this, Dad. All of us. And Zoe," Kathleen said smiling at her father. Her father immediately returned her smile before turning to kiss his wife's hand.

************EO*********************EO************* ******

_"Stay in here. Stay in the car," Olivia said to the girl that had just escaped from Ray Schenkel. The girl had told Olivia that an undercover cop, which she knew was Elliot, had helped her escape. Ray had abducted her and held her in the back of a van while waiting for Elliot to finish with counseling. _

_Elliot had been undercover as a sexual predator, Mack, after Ray Schenkel was paroled after 21 years behind bars. Detective Dorsey had gone to Elliot with his concern of Schenkel's probability of offending again once released. Elliot had managed to win over Ray's trust and friendship. When Elliot had finished with his counseling session, Ray was waiting for him outside in their van. Once Elliot wwas in the van with Ray, Ray showed him a girl duct taped in the back of the van and began driving._

_When Fin tracked the van's movements, he realized Elliot wasn't returning to the safehouse. After he voiced his concerns to Cragen, the captain instructs Fin and Olivia to track Elliot down. Once the duo arrived at the empty warehouse, the signal was lossed. Olivia's concern for the well-being for her partner was kicked into overdrive. She knows Ray is a dangerous man and was capable of harming, or even killing, her partner. _

_Her feelings quickly took over her mind. "What if Ray kills him? What if he hurts him? I have to find Elliot. He needs me." These thoughts were interrupted by the girl that was running towards her and Fin. _

_"Where are they?" Olivia asked the girl desperately._

_"I.. I don't know," she cries out._

_Olivia was terrified. "He knows. He knows El is a cop," she thought to herself._

_Shots interrupted the silence and Olivia instructed the girl to stay in the car as she followed Fin as they ran towards the warehouse. They searched for a way in, but found nothing. _

_NYPD backup arrived and began to take their places as the garage door rose._

_"Elliot!" Olivia shouted._

_"Coming out," she heard Elliot scream and a sense of relief instantly flooded her body. He was okay. Her partner was okay. He walked towards her and she withstood the strong urge to wrap her arms around him and hold him close. "I'm okay," he said walking passed her. "He needs a doctor though."_

************EO*********************EO************* ******

"Mr. Stabler," Elliot heard as he woke. "Mr. Stabler," he heard again. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light streaming through the long but narrow hospital window. He saw Dr. Taytem standing beside him.

"Good morning, doc," he said with a raspy voice as his body hadn't completely ridded itself from the effects of sleep yet.

"Good morning, Mr. Stabler," Dr. Taytem said. "I was called in this morning due to concern for Olivia's blood pressure."

"It's been a little on the high side lately, but Dr. Clark said there was no cause for concern," Elliot said as Dr. Taytem's words jolted him wide awake.

"It has been slightly high for Olivia the entire pregnancy, as you remember. But for the past few days, it's gradually gotten higher and higher. I'm going to start her on a medication to keep it lowered. It's nothing to be alarmed with right now as long as she responds to the medicine," Dr. Taytem told Elliot.

"And, what if she doesn't respond?" Elliot asked haphazardly.

"Well, if worst comes to worst," the doctor started before shortly pausing. "We would have to deliver the baby."

"It.. it's to early," Elliot said as if questioning the doctor's statement.

"It is, Mr. Stabler. And that is the very last resort," she said as a nurse came in to administer the new blood pressure medication through Olivia's IV. "I will be back in this evening to check on her."

"Doc," Elliot said quietly just before the doctor had reached the doorway.

"Yes, Mr. Stabler," the doctor said sensing Elliot's sincerity and worry in his one worded statement.

"Do you think she'll ever wake up?" Elliot barely choked out.

"Professionally, I am incapable of predicting the outcome of a coma patient," she started. "But personally, knowing Olivia the little bit that I know her, I think she just needs the rest. I believe she will wake up. She's wanted this baby longer than you know, Elliot. She wouldn't give up on this dream that easy," Dr. Taytem said before slipping through the doorway and into the hallway.


End file.
